Design, Synthesis, and Antiproliferative Activity of Novel Flavone Derivatives

Background: Cancer is a complex disease in which some of the cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body. Objective: The present study focuses on molecular docking and synthesis of novel flavone derivatives substituted with heterocyclic rings. Methods: The anticancer activity of novel flavones against human aromatase enzyme using human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 through MTT assay was demonstrated. The synthesized compounds for the determination of single or double-strand DNA damage through the single-cell electrophoresis/comet assay were evaluated. Results: In this study, we found that the derivative 3M with morpholine ring showed the highest anticancer potency against the MCF-7 cell line compared to that of other flavone derivatives. Compound 3T showed less cytotoxicity against the MCF-7 cell line. Conclusion: Based on the findings, flavone scaffolds can be selected as a skeleton for the development of heterocyclic amine-containing flavones with the potential to develop as anticancer drugs.