Novel Coumarin-Steroid/Terpenoid Hybrids: In Vitro and In Silico Anticancer Studies

We have synthesized a series of novel coumarin-steroid and triterpenoid hybrids and evaluated their potential anticancer activity through molecular docking calculations and in vitro antiproliferative assays. These hybrids, derived from estrone and oleanolic acid, were linked via hydrocarbon spacers of varying lengths. Molecular docking studies against human aromatase revealed strong interactions, particularly for compound 11d, which exhibited significant binding affinity (-12.6308 kcal/mol). In vitro assays demonstrated that compounds 6b and 11d had notable antiproliferative effects, with GI₅₀ values of 5.4 and 7.0 μM against WiDr (colon) and HeLa (cervix) cancer cells, respectively. These findings highlight the potential of these hybrids as novel anticancer agents targeting aromatase, warranting further investigation and optimization.