LAUSR

Abstract Zerumbone is the major component of the essential oil of wild ginger, Zingiber zerumbet Smith. It is not only highly reactive but also has diverse bioactivities. Those effects derive from two conjugated double bonds of zerumbone and a carbonyl group in between, and we had already established a synthetic scheme for zerumbone-pendant derivatives without disturbing the conjugation system. Herein, twelve conjugates with salicylic acid or various benzoic acid derivatives were synthesized for evaluations of their antiproliferative effects on Jurkat cells as salicylic acid is bioactive and has a carboxylic group for coupling. Most of them resulted in IC50 values as low as 1–10 μM, validating the utility of this activity-conserving strategy.