| abstract |
Methods of using a compound, its pharmaceutically acceptable salts, and/or its pro-drug esters, in isolated form, to treat cancer, and methods for isolating, for formulating, and for administering the compound, salt, and/or pro-drug ester as an antitumor agent, wherein the compound, salt, or pro-drug ester has the following structure: n n n wherein: n R 1 , R 2 , R 5 , R 7 , and R 8 are each separately selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, and saturated C 1 -C 24 alkyl, unsaturated C 1 -C 24 alkenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, alkoxy, cycloalkoxy, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, amino, substituted amino, nitro, substituted nitro, phenyl, and substituted phenyl groups, n R 3 , R 4 , and R 6 are each separately selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, and saturated C 1 -C 12 alkyl, unsaturated C 1 -C 12 alkenyl, cycloalkyl, alkoxy, cycloalkoxy, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, amino, substituted amino, nitro, and substituted nitro groups, n X 1 and X 2 are separately selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom, and a sulfur atom, and n the dashed bond represents a bond selected from the group consisting of a carbon-carbon single bond and a carbon-carbon double bond. Most preferably, R 3 and R 4 are hydrogen, and each are involved in hydrogen bonds, and/or the dashed bond is a double bond, such that the chemical backbone of the compound substantially retains a substantially planar conformation. |