Establishment of In Vitro and In Vivo Anticolorectal Cancer Efficacy of Lithocholic Acid-Based Imidazolium Salts.

Imidazolium salts (IMSs) are the subject of many studies showing their anticancer activities. In this research, a series of novel imidazolium salts substituted with lithocholic acid (LCA) and alkyl chains of various lengths (-) were evaluated against colon cancer cells. A significant reduction in the viability and metabolic activity was obtained in vitro for DLD-1 and HT-29 cell lines when treated with tested salts. The results showed that the activities of tested agents are directly related to the alkyl chain length, where - compounds were the most cytotoxic against the DLD-1 line and - against HT-29. The research performed on the xenograft model of mice demonstrated a lower tendency of tumor growth in the group receiving compound , compared with the group receiving 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Obtained results indicate the activity of in the induction of apoptosis and necrosis in induced colorectal cancer. LCA-based imidazolium salts may be candidates for chemotherapeutic agents against colorectal cancer.