Synthesis, anticancer evaluation of novel hybrid pyrazole-based chalcones, molecular docking, DNA fragmentation, and gene expression: in vitro studies

Abstract

A unique series of pyrazolyl-chalcone derivatives was synthesized via the method of Claisen–Schmidt condensation. The desired chalcone derivatives 7a–d and 9a–f were obtained in good yields by reacting the 4-acetyl-5-thiophene-pyrazole with the appropriate heteroaryl aldehyde derivatives. The novel chalcones have undergone complete elemental analysis, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, mass spectrometry, and IR characterization. The three human cancer cell lines MCF7 (human Caucasian breast adenocarcinoma), PC3 (prostatic cancer) and PACA2 (pancreatic carcinoma) as well as the normal cell line BJ1 (normal skin fibroblasts) were tested in vitro for the anti-cancer properties of the newly synthesized chalcone derivatives. When compared to the reference medicine doxorubicin (IC₅₀ = 52.1 μM), compound 9e showed the most promise derivative (IC₅₀ = 27.6 μM) against PACA2 cells, while compound 7d demonstrated anticancer efficacy (IC₅₀ = 42.6 μM against MCF7 cells compared to the reference drug doxorubicin (IC₅₀ = 48 μM). Using breast and pancreatic cell lines, the gene expression, DNA damage, and DNA fragmentation percentages for compounds 7d and 9e were evaluated. Moreover, the molecular docking study of compounds 7d and 9e was assessed. The binding affinities of compound 9e toward P53 mutant Y220C was −22 kcal per mole, while those of compound 7d towards Bcl2 and CDK4 were −27.81 and −26.9 kcal per mole, respectively, compared to the standard values (−15.82, −33.96 and −29.9 kcal per mole).