Anticancer and antimicrobial evaluation of newly synthesized steroidal 5,6 fused benzothiazines

A series of new 5α-cholestano [5,6-b] benzothiazines (4–6) has been synthesized by the reaction of 5α-cholestan-6-one (1–3) with 2-aminothiophenol in the presence of iodine. The structures of newly synthesized compounds have been established on the basis of spectral and analytical data. Compounds (1–6) were screened for in vitro anticancer activity against the human cancer cell lines; SW480 (colon adenocarcinoma cells), A549 (lung carcinoma cells), HepG2 (hepatic carcinoma cells) and HeLa (cervical cancer cells) using MTT assay during which the products (4–6) showed marked increase in anticancer activity and in particular, compound 6 showed IC₅₀ = 13.73 μmol L⁻¹ against HeLa cells, being more effective than Doxorubicin against the same cells. Compounds 4 and 6 also showed minimum IC₅₀ of 15.83 μmol L⁻¹ and 16.89 μmol L⁻¹ against HepG2 and A549 cells, respectively. Compounds (1–6) were also tested for in vitro antimicrobial activity against different bacterial as well as fungal strains during which newly synthesized compounds (4–6) were found more potent than starting compounds (1–3). Compound 4 was found to be more potent than the reference drug, Chloramphenicol, in the case of Escherichia coli while compound 5 was found almost equally potential antifungal agent against P. marneffei in comparison with the reference drug, Nystatin.