Anti-Cancer Activity and Molecular Docking of Some Pyrano[3,2‑c]quinoline Analogues

Abstract

Quinoline analogues exhibited diversified biological activities depending on the structure type. A number of natural products with pyrano[3,2-c]quinolone structural motifs and patented chromenes were reported as promising cytotoxic agents. A molecular docking study was employed to investigate the binding and functional properties of 3-amino pyranoquinolinone 2a-c as anti-cancer agents. The three 3-amino pyranoquinolinone 2a-c showed an interesting ability to intercalate the DNA-topoisomerase complex and were able to obtain energetically favorable binding modes (−8.3 - −7.5 kcal/mol). Compound 2c containing butyl chain superiority over the other two compounds 2a-b which appeared to be involved in arene-H interactions with the two dG13 aromatic centers. The butyl chain also appeared to be immersed into a side subpocket formed by the side chains of Asn520 and Glu522 and the backbone amide of Arg503, Gly504, Lys505 and Ile506. Hence, the 3-amino pyranoquinolinone 2c used as starting material to prepare derivatives of pyrano[3,2-c]quinolone containing 1,2,4-triazine ring 4a-b which will enhance the anti-cancer activity. Pyrano[3,2-c]quinoline-2,5-diones 2a-c and 4a-b were evaluated in vitro on cell lines Ehrlich Ascites carcinoma cells (EAC), liver cancer cell line Hep-G2 and breast cancer cell line MCF-7 for the development of novel anticancer agents. The screening results revealed that compounds 4a-b were found most active candidates as anticancer agents.