1,2,3-triazole-dithiocarbamate-naphthalimides: Synthesis, characterization, and biological evaluation

Fifteen novel dithiocarbamate-derived naphthalimides as a type of potential anticancer and antimicrobial agents were synthesized and characterized by spectral and analytical techniques. The structures of 2b, 5a, and 7b were established by X-ray crystallography. Their in vitro antitumor activities were evaluated by the MTT method against MDA-MB-231, HepG-2, PC12, as well as A549. Based on the results of the MTT assay, compound 7c bearing a morpholinyl substituent displayed the highest activity and selectivity toward HepG-2 cancer cells with an IC₅₀ of 10.86 µM. All new compounds were screened for their antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus. The preliminary results showed that compound 7d (an N-methyl piperazine) showed high efficacy against B. subtilis with a minimum inhibitory concentration value of 7.6 µM, which was superior to that of the clinical drug, Cefuroxim. It is found that the anticancer and antibacterial activities of the dithiocarbamate-naphthalimide derivatives were significantly enhanced when bearing a 1,2,3-triazole group.