Synthesis and in Vitro Evaluation of New Nitro-Substituted Thiazolyl Hydrazone Derivatives as Anticandidal and Anticancer Agents

Fourteen new thiazolyl hydrazone derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their anticandidal activity using a broth microdilution assay. Among the synthesized compounds, 2-[2-((5-(4-chloro-2-nitrophenyl)furan-2-yl)methylene)hydrazinyl]-4-(4-fluorophenyl)thiazole and 2-[2-((5-(4-chloro-2-nitrophenyl)furan-2-yl)methylene) hydrazinyl]-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)thiazole were found to be the most effective antifungal compounds against Candida utilis, with a MIC value of 250 µg/mL, when compared with fluconazole (MIC = 2 µg/mL). Additionally, the synthesized compounds were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxic effects on the MCF-7 and NIH/3T3 cell lines. As a result, 2-[2-((5-(4-chloro-2-nitrophenyl)furan-2-yl)methylene)hydrazinyl]-4-(4-chlorophenyl)thiazole was identified as the most promising anticancer compound against MCF-7 cancer cells due to its inhibitory effects (IC(50) = 125 µg/mL) and relatively low toxicity towards the NIH/3T3 cell line (IC(50) > 500 µg/mL).