Design, synthesis, molecular modeling, and biological evaluation of sulfanilamide-imines derivatives as potential anticancer agents

A series of sulfanilamide Schiff base derivatives (1 to 15) have been designed as potential antitubulin agents depending on the chemical structures of combretastatine A-4 and isoquinoline sulfamate (antimitotic agents under investigation). The designed compounds were synthesized by microwave chemical synthesis, their purity was confirmed by melting point and HPLC and chemical structures were determined by FT-IR, UV, and (1)H and (13)C-NMR spectroscopic techniques. The synthesized compounds have been docked in the colchicine binding site of β-tubulin using molecular modeling programs and the antitumor activities were screened on human breast and lung cancer cells by cell counting assay. Some tested compounds showed potent and selective activity against breast cancer (MCF-7) with IC(50) range of 90 to 166 μM. With regarding broad-spectrum activity, compounds 4, 8, and 13 have shown potent antitumor activity against human breast and human lung cells with IC(50) range of 96 to 140 μM. The obtained results suggest that the sulfanilamide Schiff base derivatives might potentially constitute an interesting novel class of anticancer agents, which deserve further studies.