Synthesis of new spirooxindole-pyrrolothiazole derivatives: Anti-cancer activity and molecular docking

[Display omitted] •A series of spirooxindole-pyrrolothiazole scaffold were synthesized.•X-ray crystal structure of 4a, 4e and 4n were reported.•4k (IC50=15.32±0.02μM) was identified as anti-cancer agent towards breast cell line MCF-7.•4k (IC50=14.74±0.7μM) was identified as anti-cancer agent towards Leukemia K562.•Molecular docking studies were investigated. The 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of an azomethine ylide generated from isatin and thiazolidinecarboxylic acid to a series of 2,6-bis[(E)-arylmethylidene]cyclohexanones afforded new di-spiro heterocycles incorporating pyrrolidine and oxindole rings in quantitative yields and chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectively. The newly synthesized compounds were characterized using spectroscopic techniques. Furthermore, the molecular structures of 4a, 4e, and 4n were confirmed by X-ray crystallography. These newly synthesized compounds were screened for their in vitro activity against breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and K562-leukemia. 4k was found to be the most potent compound of this series in targeting MCF-7 breast cancer cells and K562-leukemia, with IC50 values of 15.32±0.02 and 14.74±0.7μM, respectively. The molecular studies of the synthesized compounds were investigated.