The pharmacological activities of chalcones and their derivatives are well documented. Chalcones are an important class of natural products that occur in edible plant derivatives such as spices, tea, fruits and other vegetables. In vitro studies have shown that chalcones inhibit proliferation of breast cancer cells by inducing apoptosis and blocking cell progression. The synthesis of chalcones with aromatic substituents has been investigated, and electron rich chalcones, <i>i.e.</i> chalcones with donors attached to the aromatic rings, have been studied extensively. The effect that adding electron withdrawing groups to the chalcone structural motif has on the anti-proliferation ability of chalcones has been only minimally investigated. Herein we examine the introduction of chlorine to the aromatic system of the chalcone, how these electron withdrawing substituents affect the chalcone’s anti-proliferative ability, and how these compounds have been integrated into our laboratory courses to facilitate the understanding of translational science, taking chalcones from benchtop to potential therapies for breast cancer.

Chalcones: Potential chemotherapeutic compounds and educational tools for closing the loop in STEM

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ACS Spring 2023

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