New Approaches for the Synthesis, Cytotoxicity and Toxicity of Heterocyclic Compounds Derived from 2-Cyanomethylbenzo[c]imidazole.

The reaction of ethyl cyanoacetate with o-phenylenediamine gave the 2-cyanomethylbenzo[c]imidazole (1). The latter compound was used as the key starting material to synthesise biologically active heterocyclic derivatives. Thus, the reaction of 1 with cyclohexanone and either of benzaldehyde, 4-methoxybenzaldehyde or 4-chlorobenzaldehyde gave the annulated derivatives 2a-c, respectively. The antitumor evaluations of the newly synthesized products against the three cancer cell lines MCF-7 (breast adeno-carcinoma), NCI-H460 (non-small cell lung cancer) and SF-268 (CNS cancer) showed that compounds 2b, 6, 11b, 11c, 12b, 16a, 16b and 18a exhibited optimal cytotoxic effect against cancer cell lines, with IC50 values in the nM range. Bioactive compounds are often toxic to shrimp larvae. Thus, in order to monitor these chemicals in vivo lethality to shrimp larvae (Artemia salina), Brine-Shrimp Lethality Assay was used. Compounds 11b, 12b and 16b showed no toxicity against the tested organisms.