Synthesis and Evaluation of New 2-Mercaptomethyl Benzimidazole Scaffolds as Potential Antibacterial, Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Agents

Abstract

Novel series of benzimidazole derivatives are developed based on the key compound 2-mercaptomethyl benzimidazole 1. The reactivity of the precursor compound 1 towards nucleophilic reagents enabled us to produce new series with expected bioactivity. The synthesized benzimidazole scaffolds are structurally authenticated and fully characterized by their spectral properties. They exhibit antimicrobial efficiency against selected pathogenic bacteria strains (Gram +ve & -ve bacteria) using disc diffusion method, the inhibition clear zones (mm) and MIC are recorded as well. The compounds are also assessed for their cytotoxicity, antioxidant and antitumor activity against HEP−G2 human hepatoma cell line, showing gradient efficiencies related to the chemical structure.