Studies on the Biological Activities of Islandic Acid and Related Compounds

Abstract

The effects of islandic acid-I (1) and related compounds on the growth of Yosida sarcoma cells and on the transfection of Bacillus phage M2-DNA have been investigated. Compound 1 inhibited the growth of Yoshida sarcoma cells at 100μg/ml, while its methyl ester (2) was 100 times more potent. Islandic acid-II methyl ester (4) and 2 produced 83 and 97% inhibition of the transfection of Bacillus phage M2-DNA at 33 and 66μg/ml, respectively. Methyl (2Z, 4E)-hexadienoate (5), having the same configuration as the side chain of 1, also inhibited the transfection of M2-DNA over a wide concentration range, but did not show cytotoxicity against Yoshida sarcoma cells in tissue culture even at 100μg/ml.