Evaluation of Benzothiazole-Chalcone Hybrids: Apoptosis Induction, Docking Analysis, and Anticancer Potential in Gastric Cancer Cells

Abstract

This study investigated a series of chalcone derivatives containing benzothiazole groups (C1-7) for their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer potential against gastrointestinal cancer cell lines. The compounds showed the highest antiproliferative effect in AGS gastric cancer cells compared to HCT116 colon cancer and HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Among the tested compounds, C3 and C4 exhibited the most potent antiproliferative effects (IC₅₀ = 7.55 µg/mL and 8.25 µg/mL at 48 h, respectively), significantly outperforming Cisplatin (IC₅₀ = 15.71 µg/mL). Mechanistic investigations revealed that C3 and C4 induce apoptosis by upregulating caspase-3, -8, and -9, suppressing anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, and elevating pro-apoptotic Bax and p53 proteins. These compounds also impeded AGS cell migration. Antimicrobial evaluations demonstrated an effective profile against multi-drug resistant bacteria, and their effects were comparable to those of the reference antibiotic Ciprofloxacin (< 0.5 µg/mL). Antifungal activity results showed that MIC values ranged from < 0.5 to 256 mg/mL. Antioxidant profiling identified C1 as the most potent antioxidant, while C3 exhibited a unique dual role as an oxidant and pro-apoptotic agent. DFT computational studies harmonized the experimental findings, with molecular docking revealing high binding affinities of C3 and C4 to apoptosis regulators Bcl-2 and survivin. ADME predictions affirmed favorable drug-likeness, with moderate solubility, optimal distribution, and synthetic feasibility. This study provides a robust framework for developing benzothiazole-chalcone hybrids as precision therapeutics, positioning C3 and C4 as promising candidates for gastric cancer therapy.

Keywords: ADME; AGS gastric cancer; Apoptosis; Benzothiazole-Chalcone hybrids; DFT; Molecular docking; RDG.