Anticancer activity of synthetic bis(indolyl)methane-ortho-biaryls against human cervical cancer (HeLa) cells

• 12 novel ortho biaryl BIMs (compounds 1–12) were synthesized.
• Compounds 1, 4 and 11 induced caspase mediated apoptosis in HeLa cells.
• They were nontoxic to normal H9C2 cells.
• These three compounds decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential in HeLa cells.
• They decreased cellular migration and production of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in HeLa cells.

Bis(indolyl)methane appended biaryls were designed, synthesized and evaluated in human cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa) for their anticancer activities and compared against normal rat cardiac myoblasts (H9C2) cells. Compounds 1–12 were synthesized, with variations in one of the phenyl unit, in a single step by condensation of biaryl-2-carbaldehydes with indole in the presence of para-toluenesulfonic acid. Compound 1 exhibited a GI50 value of 11.00 ± 0.707 μM and the derivatives, compounds 4 and 11 showed a GI50 value of 8.33 ± 0.416 μM and 9.13 ± 0.177 μM respectively in HeLa cells and was found to be non-toxic to H9C2 cells up to 20 μM. Furthermore, compounds 1, 4 and 11 induced caspase dependent cellular apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, inhibited the cell migration and downregulated the production of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in HeLa cells.

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