Abstract
Substituted lawsone Mannich bases 2a–e, 3a–e and 4a–e were prepared and tested for their biological activities. The new fatty alkyl substituted compounds 2a–c exhibited strong and selective growth inhibitory activities in the low one-digit micromolar and sub-micromolar range against a panel of human cancer cell lines associated with ROS formation. In addition, compounds 2a–c revealed sub-micromolar anti-trypanosomal activities against parasitic Trypanosoma brucei brucei cells via deformation of the microtubule cytoskeleton. The N-hexadecyl compound 2c was also highly active against locally isolated Entamoeba histolytica parasite samples exceeding the activity of metronidazole.
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•New fatty alkyl substituted lawsone Mannich bases were prepared.•2a–c showed strong and selective tumor cell growth inhibition.•2a–c exhibited sub-micromolar activity against T. b. brucei cells.•2a–c caused strong deformation of the T. b. brucei cytoskeleton.•2c revealed stronger antiamoebic activity than metronidazole.