Recebido em 12/5/11; aceito em 29/8/11; publicado na web em 26/9/11 Natural geranylhydroquinone 1 and geranyl-p-methoxyphenol 2 were prepared by Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution (EAS) reactions between geraniol and 1,4-hydroquinone or p-methoxyphenol respectively, using BF 3 •Et 2 O as a catalyst. Furthermore, natural geranylquinone 3, geranyl-1,4-dimethoxyquinone 4 and the new geranyl-4-methoxyphenyl acetate 5 were obtained by chemical transformations of 1 and 2. The compounds were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity activities against cultured human cancer cells of PC-3 human prostate cancer, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma, and Dermal Human Fibroblasts DHF. IC 50 values were in the µM range.

The synthesis of twenty six prenylated phenols derivatives is reported. These compounds were obtained under mild conditions via Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution (EAS) coupling reactions between phenol derivatives containing electron-donor subtituents and 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol using BF3·OEt2. Dialkylations were also produced with this method. The formation of a chroman ring by intramolecular cyclization between a sp2 carbon from the prenyl group with the hydroxyl substituent in the ortho position occurred with some phenols. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated as antioxidants according to a DPPH radical scavenging activity assay. IC50 values of five synthesized compounds indicated they were as good antioxidants as Trolox™.

The syntheses of six prenylated acetophenone and benzaldehyde derivatives and their anti-phytopathogenic and antioxidant activities are reported. These compounds were obtained by electrophilic aromatic substitution (S E Ar) of the corresponding arenes and 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol using ZnCl 2 as a Lewis acid catalyst in ethyl acetate. Reasonable to good yields were obtained based on unrecovered aromatic starting material (45-73%). All the synthesized compounds were evaluated against phytopathogenic gram-negative bacteria Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Pseudomonas syringae and Erwinia carotovora and plant fungal pathogens Botrytis cinerea, Phytophthora cinnamomi and Gibberella fujikuroi. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity assay and expressed as half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) values in µM concentrations. The antioxidant activity went from 27.20 µM to >100 µM. Compound 11 showed statistically significant inhibition of the growth of Botrytis cinerea, and compounds 13 and 15 showed statistically significant inhibition of the growth of Phytophthora cinnamomi, with respect to negative control fungal growth. All six compounds showed bacteriostatic effects against gram-negative plant pathogenic bacteria with IC 50 values between 250 and <3.9 µM.

Vanillin, o-vanillin, natural and synthetic benzaldehydes and benzyl alcohols were assessed for antiproliferative effects using different human cell lines. Benzyl alcohols were synthesized from benzaldehydes reduced with NaBH 4 in methanol solution. A new method for deprotection of ether compounds with TiCl 4 solution was achieved with better performance, than previously reported. Twenty four compounds were tested. The in vitro growth inhibition assay was based on sulphorhodamine dye to quantify cell viability. Catechol 9 derived from piperonal as well as compounds 4 and 12 showed higher cytotoxicity on breast and prostate cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and PC-3 respectively). o-Vanillin 5 has the highest cytotoxicity for all cell lines. IC 50 values of 35.40 ± 4.2 μM Breast MDA-MB231; 47.10 ± 3.8 μM Prostate PC-3; 72.50 + 5.4 μM Prostate DU-145; 85.10 + 6.5 μM and Colon HT-29, were obtained without toxicity towards dermal human fibroblast (DHF cells).