Synthesis of new salen group-containing boron compounds, elucidation of their structures with different analytical techniques and investigation of their effects against breast cancer

Cancer is a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled division, accumulation, proliferation, and spread of cells that have acquired a malignant phenotype due to genetic and environmental triggers, with its incidence increasing progressively each year. Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women worldwide and remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality. In this field, various general and targeted therapies are currently being utilized, resulting in improved survival rates. In recent years, boron-containing compounds have seen increasingly widespread applications in healthcare. Notably, research investigations have explored their anti-cancer effects, with certain boron-based compounds now being employed as therapeutic agents in clinical treatment. Current research demonstrates that boron-based compounds show promising activity against specific cancer types, including leukemia, breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and glioblastoma multiforme. Therefore, based on the recognized potential of certain boron-containing compounds as anti-cancer agents, we synthesized six novel salen- group containing boron derivatives (SB1-SB6) in this study. After structural characterization using FT- IR, NMR, UV-Vis, LC-MS/MS, and elemental analysis, we evaluated their anti-cancer activity. The cytotoxic effects were assessed via MTT assay on MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and CRL-4010 cell lines, while apoptotic activity was examined using the Annexin-V method in cell culture models. Among the synthesized compounds, SB6 demonstrated notable activity against the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line, with an IC50 value of 47.3 μg/ml. Morphological analysis revealed that SB6 at 50 µg/ml induced apoptosis in 30.6% of MDA-MB-231 cells. Our findings demonstrate that compound SB6 exhibits cytotoxic effects against the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line, suggesting its potential as a lead compound worthy of further comprehensive investigation to guide future therapeutic development.