Pesticidal and antifertility activities of triorganogermanium(IV) complexes synthesized using a green chemical approach

Physiological Activity of Trace Element Germanium including Anticancer Properties

Germanium is an essential microelement, and its deficiency can result in numerous diseases, particularly oncogenic conditions. Consequently, water-soluble germanium compounds, including inorganic and coordination compounds, have attracted significant attention due to their biological activity. The review analyzes the primary research from the last decade related to the anticancer activity of germanium compounds. Furthermore, the review clarifies their actual toxicity, identifies errors and misconceptions that have contributed to the discrediting of their biological activity, and briefly suggests a putative mechanism of germanium-mediated protection from oxidative stress. Finally, the review provides clarifications on the discovery history of water-soluble organic germanium compounds, which was distorted and suppressed for a long time.

Synthesis and biological evolution of hydrazones derived from 4-(trifluoromethyl)benzohydrazide

Reflecting the known biological activity of isoniazid-based hydrazones, seventeen hydrazones of 4-(trifluoromethyl)benzohydrazide as their bioisosters were synthesized from various benzaldehydes and aliphatic ketones. The compounds were screened for their in vitro activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, nontuberculous mycobacteria (M. avium, M. kansasii), bacterial and fungal strains. The most antimicrobial potent derivatives were also investigated for their cytostatic and cytotoxic properties against three cell lines. Camphor-based molecule, 4-(trifluoromethyl)-N'-(1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ylidene)benzohydrazide, exhibited the highest and selective inhibition of M. tuberculosis with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 4 µM, while N'-(4-chlorobenzylidene)-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzohydrazide was found to be superior against M. kansasii (MIC = 16 µM). N'-(5-Chloro-2-hydroxybenzylidene)-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzohydrazide showed the lowest MIC values for gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as well as against two fungal strains of Candida glabrata and Trichophyton mentagrophytes within the range of ≤0.49-3.9 µM. The convenient substitution of benzylidene moiety at the position 4 or the presence of 5-chloro-2-hydroxybenzylidene scaffold concomitantly with a sufficient lipophilicity are essential for the noticeable antimicrobial activity. This 5-chlorosalicylidene derivative avoided any cytotoxicity on two mammalian cell cultures (HepG2, BMMΦ) up to the concentration of 100 µM, but it affected the growth of MonoMac6 cells.