The antiproliferative effect of coumarins on several cancer cell lines.

Twenty-one coumarins were examined for their antiproliferative activity towards several cancer cell lines, namely lung carcinoma (A549), melanin pigment producing mouse melanoma (B16 melanoma 4A5), human T-cell leukemia (CCRF-HSB-2), and human gastric cancer, lymph node metastasized (TGBC11TKB). The structure-activity relationship established from the results revealed that the 6,7-dihydroxy moiety had an important role for their antiproliferative activity. Analysis of cell cycle distribution indicated that esculetin-treated cells accumulated in the G1 (at 400 μM) or in S phase (at 100 μM).