Selected novel 5'-amino-2'-hydroxy-1, 3-diaryl-2-propen-1-ones arrest cell cycle of HCT-116 in G(0)/G(1 ) phase

A series of 5'-amino-2'-hydroxy-1,3-diaryl-2-propen-1-ones (AC1-AC15) were synthesized by Claisen-Schmidt condensation of 5'-acetamido-2'-hydroxy acetophenone with various substituted aromatic aldehydes. The synthesized compounds were characterized by FTIR, (1)H NMR and mass spectrometry and evaluated for their selective cytotoxicity using MTT assay on two cancer cell lines namely breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), colon cancer cell line (HCT-116) and one normal kidney epithelial cell line (Vero). Among the tested compounds, AC-10 showed maximum cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 cell line with IC(50 )value 74.7 ± 3.5 µM. On HCT-116 cells, AC-13 exhibited maximum cytotoxicity with IC(50 )value 42.1 ± 4.0 µM followed by AC-14 and AC-10 with IC(50 )values 62 ± 2.3 µM and 95.4 ± 1.7 µM respectively. All tested compounds were found to be safe on Vero cell line with IC(50) value more than 200 µM. Based on their highest efficacy on HCT-116, AC-10, AC-13 and AC-14 were selected for mechanistic study on this cell line by evaluating changes nucleomorphological characteristics using acridine orange-ethidium bromide (AOEB) dual stain and by analyzing cell cycle with flow cytometry using propidium iodide stain. In AOEB staining, all three tested compounds showed significant (p < 0.05) increase in percentage apoptotic nuclei compared to control cells, with highest increase in apoptotic nuclei by AC-13 treatment (31 %). Flow cytometric studies showed cell cycle arrest by AC-10 and AC-14 treatment in G(0)/G(1) phase and by AC-13 in G(0)/G(1 )and G(2)/M phase. The study reflected the potential of AC-10, AC-13 and AC-14 to be the lead molecules for further optimization.