Synthesis and Bioactivity Evaluation of Nepetaefolin F and Its Analogues.

Nepetaefolin F (), an abietane diterpenoid, showed significant inhibitory activity against human cancer cells with an IC value of 6.3 μM. The syntheses of nepetaefolin F and its analogues are presented herein. The cytotoxicity against various cancer cell lines was evaluated; notably, the cyclopropanecarboxylate ester displayed significant antitumor activity against MGC 803 cells with an IC value of 20.9 μM. Further studies revealed that could upregulate the expression of p62, microtubule-associated protein 1 light-chain 3 β (LC3 B-I), cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved caspase-9 and downregulate the expression of Beclin-1 and LC3B-II. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that could modulate multiple signaling pathways, especially for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which are closely related to autophagy. These results suggested that compound is a promising lead by inhibiting cell proliferation and autophagy, as inducing cell apoptosis in MGC 803 cells.