Cytotoxicity of some synthetic bis(arylidene) derivatives of cyclic ketones towards cisplatin-resistant human ovarian carcinoma cells

Symmetrical α,αʹ-bis(arylidene)ketones were prepared by acid-catalyzed aldol condensations between aliphatic ketones (e.g., cyclopentanone, 4-alkylcyclohexanones, tetrahydropyran-4-one, and tetrahydrothiopyran-4-one) and two equivalents of an aromatic hydroxyaldehyde (e.g., 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, vanillin, isovanillin, and 3-fluoro-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde). Most of the compounds were cytotoxic towards the cisplatin-resistant human ovarian cancer cell line A2780-CP70 as well as the non-resistant line A2780.