Synthesis, Characterization and Apoptosis Capabilities of a Novel Naphthoquinone-Derived Compound in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Because triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly resistant to clinically employed drugs, developing new drugs and treatment approaches is imperative. Naphthoquinone compounds potentially induce cancer cell death, and their clinical derivatives have been widely used as medicines. This study presents the synthesis and structure of a newly substituted naphthoquinone compound, as determined by spectroscopic techniques, then assesses the compound‘s ability to induce cell death on the MDA-MB-231 cell line using SRB viability testing, flow cytometry, and Western Blotting. The study also examines the compound‘s inhibition of cell migration through a scratch assay. The study discovered that the compound demonstrated an antigrowth/cytotoxic impact at concentrations of 3.12 μM and beyond. The cytotoxicity may have been caused by elevated reactive oxygen species, which resulted in DNA damage. The mode of cell death was apoptotic, confirmed by the translocation of phosphatidylserine, the activation of caspases, and the disruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential. The compound seems promising as a new anti-malignant agent to be used for the treatment of breast cancer and deserves further attention for proof-of-concept in animal studies.