Design and Synthesis of Novel Morpholine-Derived Nitrogen-Rich Scaffolds as Multifunctional Anticancer and Antibacterial Agents: Biological Evaluation and Computational Studies
Background/Objectives: The development of multifunctional small molecules capable of simultaneously addressing cancer progression and antimicrobial resistance represents an important challenge in medicinal chemistry. This study aimed to design, synthesize, and biologically evaluate a series of novel morpholine-based nitrogen-rich heterocyclic hybrids as potential anticancer and antibacterial agents, supported by computational investigations. Methods: Twelve morpholine-derived nitrogen-enriched heterocyclic hybrids incorporating pyran, triazine, pyrimidinone, and sulfur-containing scaffolds were synthesized and fully characterized using IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. Their antiproliferative activities were evaluated against MCF-7 and HCT-116 cancer cell lines. The most active compounds were further investigated through kinase inhibition assays, cell cycle analysis, apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential, intracellular ROS determination, and apoptosis-related gene expression. Antibacterial, antibiofilm, antioxidant, and computational studies, including molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, MM-GBSA/MM-PBSA binding free-energy calculations, DFT calculations, and ADMET prediction, were also performed. Results: Compounds 3, 10, and 12 exhibited the highest antiproliferative activity, with compound 10 emerging as the lead candidate. It potently inhibited EGFR, PI3K, and mTOR, with IC50 values of 0.086 ± 0.003, 0.107 ± 0.005, and 0.223 ± 0.008 μM, respectively. Mechanistic investigations revealed G2/M arrest in MCF-7 cells and G0/G1 arrest in HCT-116 cells, accompanied by apoptosis rates of 32.66% and 37.12%; mitochondrial membrane depolarization; a 3.55-fold increase in intracellular ROS; upregulation of caspase-3, caspase-9, and Bax; and downregulation of Bcl-2, supporting activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Compound 10 also displayed the broadest antibacterial spectrum, surpassed ciprofloxacin against several tested isolates, exhibited MIC values of 5–20 μg/mL, achieved 42.80% inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation, and showed the strongest antioxidant activity in DPPH and ABTS assays. Computational analyses supported the experimental findings by predicting stable interactions with EGFR and Staphylococcus aureus DNA gyrase, together with favorable MM-GBSA/MM-PBSA binding free energies of −23.44 and −24.99 ± 2.71 kcal/mol, respectively. Conclusions: The present findings identify compound 10 as a promising multifunctional lead with potent anticancer, antibacterial, antibiofilm, antioxidant, and multitarget kinase inhibitory activities. The combined biochemical, cellular, and computational findings support the proposed involvement of the EGFR/PI3K/mTOR signaling pathway in its antiproliferative activity and identify DNA gyrase as a potential antibacterial target. Nevertheless, the present study is limited to in vitro biological evaluation and computational investigations. Therefore, further in vivo efficacy studies, pharmacokinetic profiling, toxicity assessment, and experimental validation of the proposed molecular targets are warranted before considering preclinical development.