SYNTHESIS, ANTITUMORAL AND ANTIVIRAL EVALUATION OF HALO-YATEIN AND DEMETHYL-YATEIN DERIVATIVES

Several chloro- and iodo-lignanolides have been obtained by direct hal ogenation of aromatic rings from yatein and 4'-O-demethylyatein. They were assayed as antineoplastics, in order to check the influence in th e activity of substitution in both aromatic rings. Although these comp ounds show a modest antineoplastic activity, it is far from that displ ayed by yatein and podophyllotoxin. These results confirm that demethy lation and the introduction of halo substituents diminish the activity of lignans of the dibenzylbutyrolactone type.