Disclosed herein are mixed steroidal tetraoxanes having the following
structural formula 1 wherein n is 0, 1, 2, or 3; R is H; ethanoyl, propanoyl, or benzoyl; R1 is H, methyl, ethyl, or
isopropyl; R2 is H, methyl, or ethyl; R3 is H, methyl, or ethyl; R4 is H, methyl, ethyl, tert-butyl, phenyl, p-hydroxyphenyl, p-methoxyphenyl, or p-nitrophenyl, or wherein Y is a C1-C4 straight or branched-chain alkoxy, or wherein W is N, R5 is
hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, n-propyl,
isopropyl, or methyl ethanoate 2-yl, and R6 is
hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, or n-propyl, or R5 and R6 are part of a
pyrrolidine or
piperidine ring; X is a C1-C4 straight or branched-chain alkoxy, a primary amino, a N-alkylamino wherein the
alkyl is a straight-chain
alkyl groups containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, methyl ethanoate-2-yl, N-phenylamino, p-nitrophenyl, N,N-dimethylamino, N,N-diethylamino, N,N-di(n-propyl)amino, N-pyrrolidino, or N-piperidino as single compounds, and any mixture of all possible stereoisomers at C(4″). n may be 0, 1, 2, or 3, and methods of making and using thereof. As disclosed herein, the mixed steroidal tetraoxanes of the present invention exhibit antimalarial, antibacterial, and antiproliferative activity. Thus, as disclosed herein, the mixed steroidal tetraoxanes of the present invention may be used to treat, prevent, or inhibit
malaria, bacterial infections, and diseases and disorders associated with
cell proliferation in a subject.