Polyamine conjugates of stigmasterol.

Abstract Three new polyamine conjugates with stigmasterol [(3β,22 E )-stigmasta-5,22-dien-3-ol] were synthesized and subjected to basic antimicrobial and cytotoxic tests. The conjugate derived from spermine, (3β,22 E )-stigmasta-5,22-dien-3-yl 4(12-amino-4,9-diaza-dodecylamino)-4-oxobutanoate ( 5c ), displayed considerable antimicrobial activity on Staphylococcus aureus at low concentration (50 μg mL −1 ). The cytotoxic activity was tested on cells of human T-lymfoblastic leukemia (IC 50  = 35.8 ± 10.3 μM ( 5c ) and IC 50  = 35.9 ± 5.7 μM ( 5b )) and normal human fibroblasts (IC 50  = 38.0 ± 2.8 μM ( 5c ) and IC 50  = 45.5 ± 1.9 μM ( 5b )). Conjugate 5a displayed no activity in both tests.