Redox active ferrocene-modified pyrimidines and adenine as antitumor agents: Structure, separation of enantiomers, and inhihibition of the DNA synthesis in tumor cells

Article abstract of DOI:10.1007/s11172-013-0298-4

The structures, electrochemical properties, enantiomeric separation of ferrocenyl (alkyl)pyrimidines and ferrocenyl(ethyl)adenine and their effects on the DNA synthesis in tumor cells were studied. Enantiomeric mixtures were separated by HPLC on modified cellu lose as the chiral selector. The electrochemical properties of compounds were studied by cyclic voltammetry. All compounds have reversible singleelectron redox transition in the region of 0.52-0.60 V, which belongs to ferrocene-ferrocenium with a positive shift compared to ferrocene (0.52 V). The molecular structure of 1N (ferrocenylbenzyl)5iodocytosine was studied by X-ray diffraction. 1-N (Ferrocenylethyl)adenine was studied for ability to inhibit the DNA synthesis in the human ovarian cancer cell culture by the ³H thymidine test.