An In Vitro Antimicrobial, Anticancer and Antioxidant Activity of N–[(2–Arylmethylthio)phenylsulfonyl]cinnamamide Derivatives

Cinnamic acid is a plant metabolite with antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant properties. Its synthetic derivatives are often more effective in vitro than parent compounds due to stronger biological activities. In our study, we synthesized ten new N–(4–chloro–2–mercapto–5–methylphenylsulfonyl)cinnamamide derivatives, containing two pharmacophore groups: cinnamic acid moiety and benzenesulfonamide. The antimicrobial activity of the obtained compounds was estimated using different types of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, fungus species of Candida albicans, as well as clinical strains. The compounds were evaluated on biofilm formation and biofilm formed by Staphylococcus clinical strains (methicillin–resistance S. aureus MRSA and methicillin–resistance coagulase–negative Staphylococcus MRCNS). Furthermore, blood bacteriostatic activity test was performed using S. aureus and S. epidermidis. In cytotoxic study, we performed in vitro hemolysis assay on domestic sheep peripheral blood and MTT [3–(4,5–dimethylthiazol–2–yl)–2,5–diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay on human cervical HeLa, ovarian SKOV-3, and breast MCF-7 cancer cell lines. We also estimated antioxidant activity of ten compounds with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′–azino–bis(3–ethylbenzthiazoline–6–sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays. Our results showed a significant antimicrobial activity of the compounds. All of them were active on Staphylococcus and Enterococcus species (MIC was 1–4 µg/mL). The compounds 16d and 16e were the most active on staphylococci clinical strains and efficiently inhibited the biofilm formation and biofilm already formed by the clinical staphylococci. Moreover, the hemolytic properties of the tested compounds occurred in higher quantities (>32.5 µg/mL) than the concentrations that inhibited both the growth of bacteria in the blood and the formation and growth of biofilm. The results of MTT assay showed that compounds 16c, 16d, 17a, and 17d demonstrated the best activity on the cancer cells (the IC(50) values were below 10 µg/mL). Compound 16f was the least active on the cancer cells (IC(50) was > 60 µg/mL). Antiradical tests revealed that compounds 16f and 17d had the strongest antioxidant properties within the tested group (IC(50) was 310.50 ± 0.73 and 574.41 ± 1.34 µg/mL in DPPH, respectively, and 597.53 ± 1.3 and 419.18 ± 2.72 µg/mL in ABTS assay, respectively). Our study showed that the obtained cinnamamide derivatives can be used as potential antimicrobial therapeutic agents.