Design, synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of novel Artemisinin-Thymol

Kavak E., Mutlu D., Ozok Ö., Arslan S., Kivrak A.

NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH, vol.36, no.14, pp.3511-3519, 2022 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 36 Issue: 14
  • Publication Date: 2022
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/14786419.2020.1865954
  • Journal Name: NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), Biotechnology Research Abstracts, CAB Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts Core, CINAHL, EMBASE, Food Science & Technology Abstracts, MEDLINE, Veterinary Science Database
  • Page Numbers: pp.3511-3519
  • Keywords: Artemisinin, Thymol, Natural products, cytotoxicity, anticancer agent, molecular docking
  • Eskisehir Osmangazi University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

A molecular hybridization of natural products is a new concept in drug discovery and having critical roles to design new molecules with improved biological properties. Hybrid molecules display higher biological activities when compared to the parent drugs. In the present study, two natural products (thymol and artemisinin (ART)) are used for the synthesis of new hybrid thymol-artemisinin. After characterization, the cytotoxic activity of ART-thymol was tested against different cancer cell lines and non-cancerous human cell line. ART-Thymol show the cytotoxic effect with EC50 values 70,96 mu M for HepG2, 97,31 mu M for LnCap, 6,03 mu M for Caco-2, 77,98 mu M for HeLa and 62,28 mu M for HEK293 cells, respectively. Moreover, ART-Thymol was checked for drug-likeness, and the kinase inhibitory activity. ART-Thymol is investigated by using molecular docking. The results of qPCR was indicated CDK2 and P38 were inhibited by ART-Thymol. These results improved that thymol-artemisinin may be new candidates as an anticancer agents.