Synthesis and Cytotoxic Evaluation of Artemisinin–triazole Hybrids

Dihydroartemisinin was converted to its corresponding alkyne-functionalized esters, which were subsequently deployed as substrates for a 'click' chemistry-mediated coupling-with 3'-azido-3'-deoxythydimine (AZT) to furnish novel triazole-artesunate-AZT hybrid compounds. Moreover, various substituted triazole-artemisinin :hybrids were synthesized based on 'click' chemistry between propargyl-substituted derivatives and artemisinin containing a 2-hydroxypropane unit. Fourteen new hybrids were thus successfully prepared and evaluated as cytotoxic agents, revealing an interesting anticancer activity of four triazole-artemisinin derivative hybrids in KB and HepG2 cancer cell lines.