Investigation of the biological properties of (hetero)aromatic thiosemicarbazones

Molecules. 2012 Nov 14;17(11):13483-502. doi: 10.3390/molecules171113483.

Abstract

Two series of thiosemicarbazone-based iron chelators (twenty-seven compounds) were designed and synthesized using a microwave-assisted approach. Quinoline and halogenated phenyl were selected as parent scaffolds on the basis of a similarity search. The lipophilicity of the synthesized compounds was measured using HPLC and then calculated. Primary in vitro screening of the synthesized compounds was performed against eight pathogenic fungal strains. Only a few compounds showed moderate activity against fungi, and (E)-2-(quinolin-2-ylvinyl)-N,N-dimethylhydrazine-carbothioamide appeared to be more effective than fluconazole against most of the fungal strains tested. Antiproliferative activity was measured using a human colon cancer cell line (HCT-116). Several of the tested compounds showed submicromolar antiproliferative activity. Compounds were also tested for their activity related to the inhibition of photosynthetic electron transport (PET) in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) chloroplasts. The structure-activity relationships are discussed for all of the compounds.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antifungal Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Chloroplasts / drug effects
  • Chloroplasts / metabolism
  • Doxorubicin / pharmacology
  • Electron Transport / drug effects
  • Fluconazole / pharmacology
  • HCT116 Cells
  • Herbicides / chemical synthesis
  • Herbicides / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Iron Chelating Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Iron Chelating Agents / pharmacology*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Photosynthesis / drug effects
  • Spinacia oleracea / drug effects
  • Spinacia oleracea / metabolism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Thiosemicarbazones / chemical synthesis
  • Thiosemicarbazones / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Herbicides
  • Iron Chelating Agents
  • Thiosemicarbazones
  • Doxorubicin
  • Fluconazole