Organofluorine Isoselenocyanate Analogues of Sulforaphane: Synthesis and Anticancer Activity

Abstract

A series of previously unknown sulforaphane analogues with organofluorine substituents bonded to the sulfinyl sulfur atom, an isoselenocyanate moiety in place of the isothiocyanate group, the central sulfur atom in various oxidation states, and different numbers of methylene groups in the central alkyl chain were synthesized and fully characterized. All new compounds were tested for their biological properties in vitro and demonstrated much higher anticancer activity against two breast cancer cell lines than that shown by native sulforaphane; at the same time, the compounds were less toxic for normal cells. The influence of the particular structural changes in the molecules on the cytotoxicity is discussed.