Synthesis, antitumor activity, and cytotoxicity of 4-substituted 1-benzyl-5-diphenylstibano-1H-1,2,3-triazoles

Abstract

Trisubstituted 5-organostibano-1H-1,2,3-triazoles (3a-f) were synthesized by the Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition of various ethynylstibanes (1) with benzylazide (2) in the presence of CuBr (5 mol%) under aerobic conditions. The reaction of 5-stibanotriazoles with HCl afforded C5-unsubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles (4a-f). The antitumor activity of trisubstituted 5-organostibano-1H-1,2,3-triazoles (3a-f) and their 5-unsubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles (4a-f) were evaluated in several tumor cell lines. All 5-stibanotriazoles (3a-f) exerted an excellent antitumor activity. On the contrary, 5-unsubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles (4a-f) without a diphenylantimony group in the molecule exhibited very low antitumor activity compared with 5-stibanotriazoles (3a-f). In compounds of both the series, the substituted 4-butyl group appeared to decrease antitumor activity. However, results suggested that organometal (antimony) in the molecule was required for greater antitumor activity. In addition, all 5-stibanotriazoles (3a-f), but not all 5-unsubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles (4a-f), exhibited cytotoxicity in normal vascular endothelial cells derived from bovine aorta. Among the compounds (3b-e) that exhibited excellent antitumor activity, those with 4-methylphenyl (3b) and 1-cyclohexenyl (3e) showed relatively low cytotoxicity to vascular endothelial cells. Together, these results suggest that trisubstituted 5-organostibano-1H-1,2,3-triazoles, including compounds 3b and 3e, may serve as potential anticancer therapeutic drugs in the future.

Keywords: 5-Stibanotriazole; Antimony; Antitumor; Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition; Cytotoxicity.