Synthesis and cytotoxic evaluation of novel ester-triazole-linked triterpenoid–AZT conjugates

Abstract

Betulinic acid and analogous naturally occurring triterpenoid acids were transformed into the corresponding propargyl esters and subsequently deployed as substrates for a click chemistry-mediated coupling with azidothymidine (AZT) en route to novel 1,2,3-triazole-tethered triterpenoid–AZT conjugates. Twelve new hybrids were thus prepared and assessed in terms of their cytotoxic activity, revealing an interesting anticancer activity of five triterpenoid–AZT hybrids on KB and Hep-G2 tumor cell lines.