Design, synthesis, and preliminary biological evaluation of a novel triazole analogue of ceramide

The amide bond of ceramide was replaced by the non-hydrolyzable 1,2,3-triazole functionality. Click chemistry was employed for synthesis of the designed analogues. Our preliminary biological evaluation indicated that the amide moiety of ceramide is amenable to bioisosteric substitution with the triazole moiety. Some of the analogues were more potent than C2-ceramide as cytotoxic agents, and the observed cytotoxicity was possibly mediated through the induction of apoptosis.