Further study on synthesis and evaluation of 3,16,20-polyoxygenated steroids of marine origin and their analogs as potent cytotoxic agents.

A series of new polyoxygenated steroid derivatives with various steroid skeleton moieties were synthesized. Antitumor activity of the compounds against three tumor cell lines (Breast cancer MCF7, lung cancer NCI and oral cancer KB) were evaluated. Compounds with aromatic A ring of this series exhibited the most potent cytotoxicities in all tested cells. The absence of OH at C-16 or lack of cholesterol like side chain at C-20 in the steroid skeleton apparently result in decreased cytotoxicity. The compound became inactive when the side chain contains double bond at C-24-C-25. When hydroxyl group at C-3 was protected no cytotoxicities against MCF7 and NCI and considerable low cytotoxicity against KB cell lines were observed.