Antioxidant Activities and Cytotoxicity of Selected Coumarin Derivatives: Preliminary Results of a Structure–Activity Relationship Study Using Computational Tools

PurposeIn the present investigation a series of coumarin derivatives (CDs) were evaluated for their in vitro antioxidant and anticancer activities. This study was to assess the suitability of a series of structurally different CDs as possible antioxidant and anticancer agents.MethodsThe antioxidant studies were carried out using a 2,2,-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazine (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, while the anticancer activity was assessed by performing the (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliuum bromide-based (MTT-based) cytotoxicity assay using different cancer cell lines. The physico-chemical properties of the test CDs related to free radical scavenging reactions and other biological properties were also calculated using BioMed Cache 6.1.10.ResultSelected CDs showed significant cytotoxicity against different cancer cell lines in an IC50 range of 7.51–17.48 μM. All the selected CDs were demonstrated to have considerable concentration-dependent DPPH radical scavenging activity.ConclusionThese results may signify the importance of selected CDs as antioxidant and anticancer agents.