Synthesis, Anticancer Activity, Pharmacokinetics, and Docking Study of Some New Heterocycles Linked Indole Moiety

Abstract

A novel series of five or six new nitrogenated heterocyclic compounds were obtained by reacting a chalcone derivative of 3-acetylindole with various reagents such as malononitrile under different conditions, some hydrazine derivatives, some cyclic and heterocyclic amines, ethyl cyanoacetate, and urea. Elements analysis and spectral data were used to validate the newly synthesized compounds. Also, they were tested for their anticancer activity against three cancer cell lines including MCF7, HCT116, and HeLa cell lines, cells were subjected to treatment with one concentration (10uM) of compounds over 48 h incubation. Furthermore, a docking study was carried out to investigate the interaction of the newly prepared derivatives with vascular endothelial growth factor-2 tyrosine kinase (VEGFR-2) for their cancer-fighting potential. The docking study results showed that six indolyl derivatives (7 b, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 17) had high docking scores and a strong fitting interaction in the active site of vascular endothelial growth factor-2 tyrosine kinase (VEGFR-2). Furthermore, the pharmacokinetics and physicochemical properties, as well as drug-likeness and bioactivity, were investigated and analyzed.

Keywords:

• indole
• pyrazole
• pyridine
• pyrimidine
• anticancer activity
• docking study

Acknowledgement

The researchers extend their appreciation to the National Research Center, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt for funding the work through the research group project No. 12060102.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.