Investigation of Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibition, Antioxidant Properties, and Selective Anticancer Activity of Methyl‐Substituted Halogenated and Methoxy Conduritols

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the anticancer, potential antiepileptic agents, and antioxidant potentials of 10 methyl-substituted halogenated and methoxy conduritols, which had been previously synthesized and characterized. The presence of active functional groups within their structures suggested their potential as bioactive molecules. Both in vitro and in silico approaches were employed to assess their biological activities and therapeutic relevance. METHODS: values calculated to evaluate cytotoxicity. Antioxidant activity was determined using DPPH, FRAP, and TAS assays. The effects of methyl-substituted mono- and dimethoxy halogenated conduritol derivatives (A and B forms) on the activities of carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes hCA I and hCA II were examined spectrophotometrically. Additionally, molecular docking studies were performed against hCA I (PDB ID: 3LXE), hCA II (PDB ID: 5AML), and breast cancer proteins (PDB ID: 1JNX, 1A52). ADME/T properties of the compounds were also evaluated to predict their pharmacokinetic and safety profiles. RESULTS: Among the synthesized derivatives, only compound 6 demonstrated notable anticancer activity, with an IC₅₀ of 20.22 μM against MCF-7 cells and moderate selectivity over healthy fibroblasts. The other compounds were largely inactive at the tested concentrations. Antioxidant assays demonstrated considerable free radical scavenging and reducing power. The synthesized conduritols showed strong inhibition of carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes, with Ki values ranging from 0.2083 ± 0.11 to 1.4944 ± 1.06 μM for hCA I and 0.0857 ± 0.06 to 2.2098 ± 0.68 μM for hCA II, outperforming standard inhibitors. Docking studies confirmed strong binding affinities to the investigated proteins, while ADME/T analysis suggested favorable pharmacokinetic properties. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that methyl-substituted halogenated and methoxy conduritols possess anticancer, potential antiepileptic agents, and antioxidant potentials. Their strong carbonic anhydrase inhibitory activities highlight their promise as potential therapeutic agents for epilepsy and glaucoma. Overall, these compounds demonstrate considerable potential as multifunctional bioactive molecules and represent promising candidates for further preclinical studies.