Twenty-one xanthone derivatives (XDs) were synthesized by a microwave-assisted technique. Their in vitro inhibition potency against the growth of four cancer cell lines was evaluated. XD-1 similar to [6,9,10-trihydroxy-3,3-dimethyl-5-(2-methylbut-3-en-2-yl)-3H,7H-pyrano[2,3-c]xanthen-7-one] was confirmed as the most active agent against HepG2 cell line growth with IC50 of 18.6 +/- 2.31 mu M. Apoptosis analysis indicated different contributions of early/late apoptosis and necrosis to cell death for XD-1. XD-1 arrested HepG2 cells on the G0/G1 phase, as indicated by the decreased expressions of ...
