Synthesis and anticancer activity evaluation of novel oxacalix[2]arene[2]pyrimidine derivatives

A series of novel oxacalix[2]arene[2]pyrimidine derivatives were synthesized, and their antitumor activities against HeLa, MCF7, HepG2, and A549 human cancer cell lines were evaluated using an MTT assay. Some of the synthesized compounds exhibited considerable anti-proliferative activity against the human cancer cell lines. Compound 5l, which contains an ethanolamine moiety, exhibited the strongest inhibitory activity against HepG2 with an IC50 value of 12.37 μM. Moreover, a cell apoptosis assay indicated that the anti-proliferative activity of 5l might be attributed to its induction of apoptosis. Our report highlights the potential anticancer efficacy of novel oxacalix[2]arene[2]pyrimidines.