Recent Studies on the Antimicrobial Activity of Copper Complexes

Abstract

The analysis of publications in 2020, devoted to the synthesis of copper(II) complexes and the study of their antimicrobial properties, indicates that this area of medicinal chemistry is promising. Organic compounds of various classes were studied as starting ligands. First of all, these are N-donor imines, amines, heterocyclic compounds, as well as N,O-donor ligands and sulfur-containing ligands. In most works, the fact of a higher biological activity of the metal complex in comparison with the corresponding ligand was established. Evaluating the influence of the nature of the metal on the antimicrobial activity of the metal complex, the authors most often come to the conclusion that it is copper(II) complexes that are the most effective inhibitors of the growth of pathogenic bacteria. The scale of the studies presented indicates a high interest in this group of metal complexes, and the results indicate good prospects for using copper complexes as antimicrobial drugs.

Copper(ii) complexes with terpene derivatives of ethylenediamine: synthesis, and antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant activity

“…It is difficult to make a correct comparison of the literature data on the antimicrobial activity of copper complexes and our results. There are a lot of examples, 6 however, the difficulty lies in the fact that the assessment of activity was carried out by various methods, the data are presented in various quantitative units. We have tried to make a small selection of comparable data.…”

“…Our review is devoted to the analysis of these results. 6 Copper complexes are characterized by great potential for biomedical applications, which is conrmed by numerous studies. A number of works report on the AOA of copper complexes.…”

“…Organic compounds of various classes were studied as starting ligands. 6 First of all, these are N-donor imines, amines, heterocyclic compounds, as well as ligands of the salen type and sulfur-containing ligands. In most works, the fact of a higher biological activity of the metal complex in comparison with the corresponding ligand was established.…”

Transition Metal Complexes of 4-Aminoantipyrine Derivatives and Their Antimicrobial Applications

“…It is seen that the metal complexes exhibited better antimicrobial activities compared to the organic 4‑aminoantipyrine derivatives, which can be rationalized with the chelation effect and/or combined effect of metal ion and organic ligand functionalities. Among the metal complexes, the copper(II) complexes have generally been found to show higher order of antimicrobial activity [ 60 – 64 ]. Interestingly, 4-aminoantipyrine derivatives and their metal complexes exhibited better antifungal activity as compared to their antibacterial action.…”

Mechanochemical Preparation, Solid-State Characterization, and Antimicrobial Performance of Copper and Silver Nitrate Coordination Polymers with L- and DL-Arginine and Histidine

“…Nowadays, copper is widely studied in different forms and formulations for the antimicrobial treatment of surfaces [ 24 , 25 ] and on medical devices and implants [ 26 , 27 ]. We can find various examples of copper used in its metallic state [ 28 , 29 , 30 ], in a nanoparticle form [ 31 ], and as a coordination compound or ionic co-crystal [ 32 , 33 , 34 ]. The mechanism of action of silver and copper, although not fully established, consists of the disruption of cell membranes, enzymes, and nucleic acids, and interfering with cell division, inducing an oxidative stress response involving endogenous ROS (reactive oxygen species), thus leading to cell death [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ].…”