[Synthesis, characterization and antitumor activity of 5-fluorouracil-nicotinamide cocrystal]

Objective: To synthesize 5-fluorouracil-nicotinamide (5-FU-NCT) cocrystal and to investigate its physicochemical and biological properties. Methods: The cocrystal of 5-Fu-NCT was prepared through the cooling technology. PXRD, NMR, FTIR and DSC were used to characterize the structure of 5-FU-NCT cocrystal. Solubility was measured by HPLC method. Drug resistant human liver cancer BEL-7402/5-FU cells were treated with 5-FU-NCT cocrystal, the inhibition effect was tested by MTT and HE staining, and cancer cell migration was determined by scratch test. Results: According to PXRD, NMR, FTIR and DSC results, the cocrystal of 5-Fu-NCT had been synthesized successfully. The characteristic diffraction peaks (2θ/°) of the cocrystal were 16.4, 20.4, 22.3, 27.9 and 30.1. The solubility of 5-FU-NCT was 13.5 g/L as measured by HPLC. The antitumor activity tests showed that 5-FU-NCT cocrystal enhanced anticancer effect of 5-FU, and the IC50 of 5-FU and 5-FU-NCT was 129.6 μg/mL and 42.6 μg/mL, respectively. Conclusion: 5-Fu-NCT cocrystal have been synthesized successfully through the cooling technology and it shows an enhanced anticancer effect in comparison to 5-FU on BEL-7402/5-FU cells.