In vitro cytotoxicity in A549, Hepg2, MCF-7, and DLD-1 cancer cell lines and ADME/ toxin analysis of a benzimidazole derivative

Abstract

The development of novel, targeted, and low-toxicity therapeutic agents is crucial in addressing cancer, which remains a significant global health issue. Benzimidazole derivatives have drawn significant interest owing to their structural similarity to biological nucleotides and several biological roles, including anticancer activity. This study synthesized a benzimidazole derivative (se-182) and tested its anticancer activities on four cancer cell lines, i.e., A549 (lung carcinoma), MCF-7 (breast carcinoma), HepG2 (liver carcinoma), and DLD-1 (colorectal carcinoma) in vitro. Cisplatin served as a reference drug in the study. The se-182 exhibited significant cytotoxic effects that were dose-dependent across all assessed cancer cell lines. The se-182 exhibited high cytotoxic activity against A549 (IC<inf>50</inf> = 15.80 μg/mL) and HepG2 cells (IC<inf>50</inf> = 15.58 μg/mL). Computational models indicated superior blood-brain barrier permeability and moderate gastrointestinal absorption, whereas ADME studies showed that se-182 met significant drug-likeness requirements. The compound, with an IC<inf>50</inf> of 1000 mg/kg, was categorized as class IV in the toxicity assessment. The se-182 exhibited significant dose-dependent cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells (IC<inf>50</inf> = 15.58 µM) demonstrating a stronger effect in comparison with cisplatin (IC<inf>50</inf> = 37.32 µM). © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.