Schiff bases as linker in the development of quinoline-sulfonamide hybrids as selective cancer-associated carbonic anhydrase isoforms IX/XII inhibitors: A new regioisomerism tactic

•A series of quinoline-based sulfonamide hybrids (8a-d, 9a-f, 10a,b and 12) has been designed and synthesized.•Imine has been utilized as an anchor linker elongated between benzenesulfonamide pharmacophores.•The inhibitory activity of all hybrids against hCA isoforms (I, II, IX, and XII) was exploited.•Hybrids 8a and 10b displayed powerful inhibitory activity against all tested hCA isoforms.•Hybrid 10 displayed an excitable activity in MCF-7 cell line under normotic condition with IC50 of 8.42 µM in comparison to the standard staurosporine (IC50 = 5.34 µM) and excellent activity under hypoxic conditions (IC50 = 1.56 µM) in comparable to staurosporine (IC50 = 4.45 µM).•Hybrids 8a and 10b encouraged MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell apoptosis alongside promising Bax/Bcl expression ratio change.