Synthesis of New 1,2,3-Triazolo-naphthalimide/phthalimide Conjugates via ‘Click' Reaction: DNA Intercalation and Cytotoxic Studies

Cancer is a complex disease which involves abnormalities of multiple cellular pathways. Current chemotherapeutic drugs are mainly designed to target the DNA and cell division. Therefore, in the present study, we have synthesized a new series of 1,2,3-triazolo-naphthalimide/phthalimide conjugates and evaluated their in vitro cytotoxicity against selected human cancer cells. Among the tested compounds, one of them displayed notable cytotoxic activity against A549 lung cancer cells with an IC50 (half maximal inhibitory concentration) value of 7.6 ± 0.78 µM. To determine the effect of this compound on cell viability, acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining studies were performed. These apoptotic features were clearly indicating that the compound inhibited cell proliferation by apoptosis. Further, relative viscosity measurements and molecular docking studies with the most three active compounds indicated that these new compounds bind to DNA by intercalation.