Investigating the therapeutic potential of monothiocarbohydrazones: A comprehensive in vitro evaluation of antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities Scientific paper

Abstract

Organic compounds, particularly those with nitrogen and sulphur het­eroatoms, constitute over 99 % of clinically approved drugs. Among these, thiocarbohydrazones have been extensively studied, with a focus on sym­met­rical bis-substituted compounds. However, asymmetric and monosubstituted thiocarbohydrazones remain underexplored, despite their demonstrated high biological potential. This study presents an in-depth in vitro evaluation of the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic properties of eighteen previously syn­thesized and characterized monothiocarbohydrazones. The antioxidant poten­tial was assessed using the DPPH assay, while the antimicrobial activity was determined against Gram-positive bacteria using a modified broth microdil­ution susceptibility method. The cytotoxic effect was evaluated on human hep­atocellular carcinoma using the colorimetric MTT assay. The results reveal that the investigated monothiocarbohydrazones exhibit significant antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Furthermore, their activity and cytotoxicity are influ­enced by the stereochemistry of the molecule and the nature and position of the substituents. These findings provide valuable insights for future in vivo exam­in­ations and underscore the potential of monothiocarbohydrazones in drug dev­elopment.