molecules Article New Estrone Oxime Derivatives: Synthesis, Cytotoxic Evaluation and Docking Studies Catarina Canário 1 , Mariana Matias 1, Vanessa Brito 1, Adriana O. Santos 1, Amílcar Falcão 2,3 , Samuel Silvestre 1,4,* and Gilberto Alves 1 1 CICS-UBI–Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal;
[email protected] (C.C.);
[email protected] (M.M.);
[email protected] (V.B.);
[email protected] (A.O.S.);
[email protected] (G.A.) 2 Laboratory of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal;
[email protected] 3 CIBIT-Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal 4 CNC–Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal * Correspondence:
[email protected] Abstract: The interest in the introduction of the oxime group in molecules aiming to improve their biological effects is increasing. This work aimed to develop new steroidal oximes of the estrane series with potential antitumor interest. For this, several oximes were synthesized by reaction of hydroxylamine with the 17-ketone of estrone derivatives. Then, their cytotoxicity was evaluated in six cell lines. An estrogenicity assay, a cell cycle distribution analysis and a fluorescence microscopy study with Hoechst 3358 staining were performed with the most promising compound. In addition, molecular docking studies against estrogen receptor α, steroid sulfatase, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehy- drogenase type 1 and β-tubulin were also accomplished. The 2-nitroestrone oxime showed higher Citation: Canário, C.; Matias, M.; Brito, V.; Santos, A.O.; Falcão, A.; cytotoxicity than the parent compound on MCF-7 cancer cells.