Synthesis and Preliminary Cancer Activity of Chelidonic Acid Polyesters Containing the Triphenylarsenic, Triphenylantimony, and Triphenylbismuth Moiety

Polyesters derived from the interfacial reaction of the salt of chelidonic acid and triphenylarsenic dibromide, triphenylantimony dichloride, and triphenylbismuth dichloride are formed in moderate yield using commercially available reactants. IR data shows new bands characteristic of the formation of the M-O bond. MALDI MS shows formation of ion fragment clusters to two units. The polymers were tested for their ability to inhibit prostate, colon, breast (two cell lines), and pancreatic (two cell lines) cancer cells. All polymers showed ability to inhibit some of the cancer cell lines. The arsenic polymer exhibits good inhibition of the AsPC-1 pancreatic cell line. All three polymers inhibit the estrogen independent 7233 cell line to a much greater extent compared to inhibition of the 7259 estrogen positive receptor cell line. The arsenic and bismuth polymers also exhibit decent inhibition of the other cancer cell lines while the antimony polymer shows only decent inhibition of the 3465 prostate cell line.