Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of some isatin-linked chalcones as novel anti-breast cancer agents: A molecular hybridization approach

Isatins are endogenous molecules present in human and mammals which exhibits diverse pharmacological profiles including anticancer activity. Similarly, chalcones, which are common substructures in numerous natural products belonging to the flavonoid family, show potent anticancer properties. A novel series of 3-(2-oxo-2-phenylethylidene)indolin-2-ones incorporating pharmacophoric elements of isatins and chalcones were designed and synthesized. The compounds were evaluated for anticancer activity against three breast cancer cell lines. Most of the compounds showed promising anticancer activity (< 20 μM) against the studied cell lines. Compound 2c, bearing a 5-chloro substituent in the benzo ring of the isatin moiety and 3,4-dimethoxy substitutions in the phenyl ring, was found to be the most active in the series with GI₅₀ values of 8.54, 4.76 and 3.59 against MDA-MB231, MDA-MB468 and MCF7 cells, respectively. Overall, the findings of the study highlight 3-(2-oxo-2-phenylethylidene)indolin-2-one as a potential new lead in the search of drugs for the treatment of breast cancer.