We have used a novel microwave-assisted method developed in our laboratories to synthesize a series of ruthenium-thiosemicarbazone complexes. The new thiosemicarbazone ligands are derived from benzo[d][1,3]dioxole-5-carbaldehyde (piperonal) and the complexes are formulated as [(diimine)2Ru(TSC)](PF6)2 (where the TSC is the bidentate thiosemicarbazone ligand). The diimine in the complexes is either 2,2'-bipyridine or 1,10-phenanthroline. The complexes have been characterized by spectroscopic means (NMR, IR and UV-Vis) as well as by elemental analysis. We have studied the biophysical characteristics of the complexes by investigating their anti-oxidant ability as well as their ability to disrupt the function of the human topoisomerase II enzyme. The complexes are moderately strong binders of DNA with binding constants of 104 M−1. They are also strong binders of human serum albumin having binding constants on the order of 104 M−1. The complexes show good in vitro anticancer activity against human colon cancer cells, Caco-2 and HCT-116 and indeed show some cytotoxic selectivity for cancer cells. The IC50 values range from 7 – 159 μM (after 72 h drug incubation). They also have antibacterial activity against Gram-positive strains of pathogenic bacteria with IC50 values as low as 10 μM; little activity was seen against Gram-negative strains. It has been established that all the compounds are catalytic inhibitors of human topoisomerase II.
We have synthesized a trio of gallium complexes bearing 9-anthraldehyde thiosemicarbazones. The complexes were assessed for their anticancer activity and their biophysical reactivity was also investigated. The three complexes displayed good cytotoxic profiles against two human colon cancer cell lines, HCT-116 and Caco-2. The IC50 ranged from 4.7 – 44.1 μM with the complex having an unsubstituted amino group on the thiosemicarbazone being the most active. This particular complex also showed a high therapeutic index. All three complexes bind strongly to DNA via intercalation with binding constants ranging from 7.46 × 104 M-1 to 3.25 × 105 M-1. The strength of the binding cannot be directly related to the level of anticancer activity. The complexes also bind strongly to human serum albumin with binding constants on the order of 104 – 105 M-1 as well. The complexes act as chemical nucleases as evidenced by their ability to cleave pBR322 plasmid DNA. The binding constants along with the cleavage results may suggest that the extent of DNA interaction is not directly correlated with anticancer activity. The results of docking studies with DNA, ribonucleotide reductase and human serum albumin, however showed that the complex with the best biological activity had the largest binding constant to DNA.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.