Synthesis and anticancer properties of mono Mannich bases containing vanillin moiety

In this study, Mannich bases 2–8, 2-(3-or-5-aminomethyl-4-hydroxy-3-or-5-methoxybenzylidene)indan-1-one, were designed and synthesized starting from 2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)indan-1-one, 1. Synthesized compounds were tested against several tumor cell lines and non-tumor cells to evaluate the cytotoxicities of the compounds and to test whether the sequential cytotoxicity hypothesis works on the studied compounds. The data obtained from cytotoxicity tests pointed out that sequential cytotoxicity hypothesis worked on compounds 3 and 4 since they had higher potency selectivity expression values. The leader compound of the present study is compound 4, 2-(3-dipropylaminomethyl-4-hydroxy-5-methoxy-benzylidene)-indan-1-one, since it has the highest potency selectivity expression value among the compounds studied. This molecule can be the leader compound for further studies and designes.