1,2,3-triazole-dithiocarbamate-naphthalimides: Synthesis, characterization, and biological evaluation

Fifteen novel dithiocarbamate-derived naphthalimides as a type of potential anticancer and antimicrobial agents were synthesized and characterized by spectral and analytical techniques. The structures of 2b, 5a, and 7b were established by X-ray crystallography. Their in vitro antitumor activities were evaluated by the MTT method against MDA-MB-231, HepG-2, PC12, as well as A549. Based on the results of the MTT assay, compound 7c bearing a morpholinyl substituent displayed the highest activity and selectivity toward HepG-2 cancer cells with an IC50 of 10.86 mu M. All new compounds were screened for their antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus. The preliminary results showed that compound 7d (an N-methyl piperazine) showed high efficacy against B. subtilis with a minimum inhibitory concentration value of 7.6 mu M, which was superior to that of the clinical drug, Cefuroxim. It is found that the anticancer and antibacterial activities of the dithiocarbamate-naphthalimide derivatives were significantly enhanced when bearing a 1,2,3-triazole group.