Synthesis, characterization, and anticancer evaluation of N-Heterocyclic entities: ADME profiling and In Silico...

This study aimed to synthesize a novel series of N-heterocyclic compounds and evaluate their integrated pharmacological potential by coupling in vitro selective cytotoxicity on tumor and normal cell lines with predictive in silico ADME-Tox profiling. This research highlights the anti-cancer potential of twelve synthesized compounds, five of which are new chemical entities never before described in the literature. Their detailed structural characterization (NMR ¹H, ¹³C, IR), combined with in silico predictions (ADME-Tox), confirmed their ability to cross essential biological barriers, in particular the intestinal membrane and, for certain derivatives, the BBB. Biological evaluations conducted on SH-SY5Y (neuroblastoma) and HCT116 (colorectal carcinoma) cell lines revealed several compounds with IC₅₀ values lower than those of cisplatin while exhibiting reduced cytotoxicity towards the normal human epithelial BEAS-2B cell line. In particular, the compound (1H-imidazol-1-yl)methanol (designated as Compound 6) stands out with IC₅₀ values of 6.97 ± 0.06 µM on SH-SY5Y and 10.70 ± 0.33 µM on HCT116, significantly lower than those of cisplatin under the same experimental conditions. This profile, combined with virtually no toxicity on normal BEAS-2B cells (IC₅₀ > 800 µM), highlights its remarkable selectivity. These results highlight optimized pharmacological properties and suggest the potential for developing selective therapeutic agents against different types of cancer, particularly neuronal and colorectal tumors. Future research will focus on in-depth mechanistic studies and in vivo validation to optimize the efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and safety of these promising molecules.