A series of novel trimethoxyphenyl-derived chalcone-benzimidazolium
salts were synthesized. The biological properties of the compounds
were screened in vitro against five different human tumor cell lines.
The results suggest that the 5,6-dimethyl-benzimidazole or 2-methyl-benzimidazole
ring as well as the 2-naphthylmethyl, 4-methylbenzyl, or 2-naphthylacyl
substituent at position-3 of the benzimidazole ring was important
to the cytotoxic activity. Notably, (E)-5,6-dimethyl-3-(naphthalen-2-ylmethyl)-1-(3-(4-(3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)acryloyl)phenoxy)propyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-3-ium bromide (7f) was more selective to HL-60, MCF-7, and SW-480 cell lines
with IC50 values 8.0-, 11.1-, and 5.8-fold lower than DDP.
Studies of the antitumor mechanism of action showed that compound 7f could induce cell-cycle G1 phase arrest and apoptosis in
SMMC-7721 cells.