Synthesis of cardanol-based 1,2,3-triazoles as potential green agents against neoplastic cells

Abstract The cashew plant (Anacardium occidentale L.) is the source of a wide variety of bioactive compounds consisting of phenolic lipids, mainly present in the spongy shells of cashew nuts. The liquid in the cashew nut shell generated after nut roasting in the food industry, which is usually treated as waste. However, it contains high amount of cardanol that could be used as a building block and are of innumerable applications. Herein, we report the synthesis of eleven 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles, derived from the cardanol, in an environmentally non-egregious fashion, and a cytotoxic evaluation study using the MCF-7 (breast carcinoma), 786-0 (kidney carcinoma) and HT-29 (colon carcinoma) cancer cell lines and cytotoxic evaluations against Trypanosoma cruzi. Five of the eleven triazoles presented high toxicity against the 786-0 kidney cancer cell line. However, no relevant toxicity to the T. cruzi amastigote was observed when compared with benznidazole (standard drug). A cell viability study demonstrated that these compounds act over a broad range of concentrations, which implies that they may be applied even in low doses. These results indicate an alternative use of cardanol in greener synthesis of potent anticancer drug candidates.