Synthesis, characterization and biological evaluation of (99m)Tc/Re-tricarbonyl quinolone complexes

Aminoquinoline-based Re(I) tricarbonyl complexes: Insights into their antiproliferative activity and mechanisms of action

In an effort to develop new potent anticancer agents, two Schiff base rhenium(I) tricarbonyl complexes, containing the ubiquitous aminoquinoline scaffold, were synthesized. Both aminoquinoline ligands and Re(I) complexes showed adequate stability over a 48-h incubation period. Furthermore, the cytotoxic activity of the precursor ligands and rhenium(I) complexes were evaluated against the hormone-dependent MCF-7 and hormone-independent triple negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. Inclusion of the [Re(CO)3Cl]+ entity significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of the aminoquinoline Schiff base ligands against the tested cancer cell lines. Remarkably, the incorporation of the Schiff-base iminoquinolyl entity notably enhanced the cytotoxic activity of the Re(I) complexes, in comparison with the iminopyridyl entity. Notably, the quinolyl-substituted complex showed up to three-fold higher activity than cisplatin against breast cancer cell lines, underpinning the significance of the quinoline pharmacophore in rational drug design. In addition, the most active Re(I) complex showed better selectivity towards the breast cancer cells over non-tumorigenic FG-0 cells. Western blotting revealed that the complexes increased levels of γH2AX, a key DNA damage response protein. Moreover, apoptosis was confirmed in both cell lines due to the detection of cleaved PARP. The complexes show favourable binding affinities towards both calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA), and bovine serum albumin (BSA), and the order of their interactions align with their cytotoxic effects. The in silico molecular simulations of the complexes were also performed with CT-DNA and BSA targets.

Comprehensive Insights into Medicinal Research on Imidazole-Based Supramolecular Complexes

The electron-rich five-membered aromatic aza-heterocyclic imidazole, which contains two nitrogen atoms, is an important functional fragment widely present in a large number of biomolecules and medicinal drugs; its unique structure is beneficial to easily bind with various inorganic or organic ions and molecules through noncovalent interactions to form a variety of supramolecular complexes with broad medicinal potential, which is being paid an increasing amount of attention regarding more and more contributions to imidazole-based supramolecular complexes for possible medicinal application. This work gives systematical and comprehensive insights into medicinal research on imidazole-based supramolecular complexes, including anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and anti-inflammatory aspects as well as ion receptors, imaging agents, and pathologic probes. The new trend of the foreseeable research in the near future toward imidazole-based supramolecular medicinal chemistry is also prospected. It is hoped that this work provides beneficial help for the rational design of imidazole-based drug molecules and supramolecular medicinal agents and more effective diagnostic agents and pathological probes.

Synthesis, structural characterization and study of antioxidant and anti-PrPSc properties of flavonoids and their rhenium(I)-tricarbonyl complexes

This study aims at the synthesis and initial biological evaluation of novel rhenium-tricarbonyl complexes of 3,3',4',5,7-pentahydroxyflavone (quercetin), 3,7,4΄-trihydroxyflavone (resokaempferol), 5,7-dihydroxyflavone (chrysin) and 4΄,5,7-trihydroxyflavonone (naringenin) as neuroprotective and anti-PrP agents. Resokaempferol was synthesized from 2,2΄,4-trihydroxychalcone by H₂O₂/NaOH. The rhenium-tricarbonyl complexes of the type fac-[Re(CO)₃(Fl)(sol)] were synthesized by reacting the precursor fac-[Re(CO)₃(sol)₃]⁺ with an equimolar amount of the flavonoids (Fl) quercetin, resokaempferol, chrysin and naringenin and the solvent (sol) was methanol or water. The respective Re-flavonoid complexes were purified by semi-preparative HPLC and characterized by spectroscopic methods. Furthermore, the structure of Re-chrysin was elucidated by X-ray crystallography. Initial screening of the neuroprotective properties of these compounds included the in vitro assessment of the antioxidant properties by the DPPH assay as well as the anti-lipid peroxidation of linoleic acid in the presence of AAPH and their ability to inhibit soybean lipoxygenase. From the above studies, it was concluded that the complexes' properties are mainly correlated with the structural characteristics and the presence of the flavonoids. The flavonoids and their respective Re-complexes were also tested in vitro for their ability to inhibit the formation and aggregation of the amyloid-like abnormal prion protein, PrP^Sc, by employing the real-time quaking-induced conversion assay with recombinant PrP seeded with cerebrospinal fluid from patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. All the compounds blocked de novo abnormal PrP formation and aggregation.

Crystal and molecular structures of fac-[Re(Bid)(PPh3)(CO)3] [Bid is tropolone (TropH) and tribromotropolone (TropBr3H)]

The crystal structures of two rhenium(I) com­plexes were determined and inter- and intra­molecular inter­actions were confirmed with solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

Two rhenium com­plexes, namely, fac-tricarbon­yl(tri­phenyl­phos­phane-κP)(trop­olonato-κ²O,O′)rhenium(I), [Re(C₇H₅O₂)(C₁₈H₁₅P)(CO)₃] or fac-[Re(Trop)(PPh₃)(CO)₃] (1), and fac-tricarbon­yl(3,5,7-tri­bromo­tropolonato-κ²O,O′)(tri­phenyl­phos­phane-κP)rhenium(I), [Re(C₇H₂Br₃O₂)(C₁₈H₁₅P)(CO)₃] or fac-[Re(TropBr₃)(PPh₃)(CO)₃] (2) (TropH is tropolone and and TropBr₃H is tri­bromo­tropolone), were synthesized and their crystal and mol­ecular structures confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Both crystallized in the space group P and display an array of inter- and intra­molecular inter­actions which were confirmed by solid-state ¹³C NMR spectroscopy using cross polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) techniques, as well as Hirshfeld surface analysis. The slightly longer Re—P distance of 1 [2.4987 (5) versus 2.4799 (11) Å for 1 and 2, respectively] suggests stronger back donation from the carbonyl groups in the former case, possibly due to the stronger electron-donating ability of the unsubstituted trop­o­lon­ate ring system. However, this is not supported in the Re—CO bond distances of 1 and 2.

Metal(II) Complexes of the Fluoroquinolone Fleroxacin: Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Profile

A series of complexes of divalent transition metals (Cu(II), Mn(II), Zn(II), Co(II) and Ni(II)) with the quinolone antibacterial agent fleroxacin, in the absence or presence of an α-diimine such as 2,2′-bipyridine, 1,10-phenanthroline or 2,2′-bipyridylamine, were prepared and characterized. The complexes were characterized by various physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques and by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The in vitro antibacterial activity of the complexes was studied against the bacterial strains Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Xanthomonas campestris and was higher than that of free quinolone. The affinity of the complexes for bovine and human serum albumin was studied by fluorescence emission spectroscopy and the determined binding constants showed tight and reversible binding to the albumins. The interaction of the complexes with calf-thymus DNA was studied by various techniques, which showed that intercalation was the most plausible mode of interaction.

Anticancer and Antibiotic Rhenium Tri- and Dicarbonyl Complexes: Current Research and Future Perspectives

Organometallic compounds are increasingly recognized as promising anticancer and antibiotic drug candidates. Among the transition metal ions investigated for these purposes, rhenium occupies a special role. Its tri- and dicarbonyl complexes, in particular, attract continuous attention due to their relative ease of preparation, stability and unique photophysical and luminescent properties that allow the combination of diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, thereby permitting, e.g., molecules to be tracked within cells. In this review, we discuss the anticancer and antibiotic properties of rhenium tri- and dicarbonyl complexes described in the last seven years, mainly in terms of their structural variations and in vitro efficacy. Given the abundant literature available, the focus is initially directed on tricarbonyl complexes of rhenium. Dicarbonyl species of the metal ion, which are slowly gaining momentum, are discussed in the second part in terms of future perspective for the possible developments in the field.

New approach for the synthesis of water soluble fac-[MI(CO)3]+ bis(diarylphosphino)alkylamine complexes (M = 99Tc, Re)

A novel proof-of-concept is reported to modify the water solubility and potential biological effects of a bis(diphenylphosphino)alkylamine (PNP) ligand and the corresponding metal complex, by introducing an amine group on the outer periphery of the pendant ligand arm. Thus, a tertiary butoxycarbonyl protected N'-Boc-ethylenediamine-N,N-bis(diphenylphosphino) (N'-Boc-PNP) ligand (1) was synthesized by reacting the protected ethylenediamine and chlorodiphenylphosphine in a 1 : 2 molar ratio. The corresponding fac-[Re(CO)₃(N'-Boc-PNP)Br] (1A) complex was then obtained by reacting N'-Boc-PNP (1) with (Et₄N)₂fac-[Re(CO)₃Br₃] in equimolar amounts in DCM at 50 °C. De-protection of the N'-Boc pendant amine group in 1A with TFA leads to fac-[Re(NH₃⁺-PNP)(CO)₃Br]·CF₃COO^- (1B) which is soluble in D₂O (>0.05 M). Treating 1B with saturated aqueous NaHCO₃ yields fac-[Re(NH₂-PNP)(CO)₃Br]·MeOH (1C) in near quantitative yield. Although both 1A and 1C are not soluble in D₂O, addition of TFA easily generates 1B (³¹P NMR), confirming the formation of the protonated amine. Isolation of fac-[⁹⁹Tc(CO)₃(N-Boc-PNP)(Cl)] (1D) confirmed that the rhenium and technetium (⁹⁹Tc) can be easily interchanged in this process. Reported are hence the unique rhenium series of compounds 1A, 1B and 1C and the corresponding technetium complex 1D, unequivocally characterized by single crystal XRD, as well as IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Preliminary antimicrobial evaluation indicates that ligand 1 and its respective rhenium complexes (1A-1C) were not active against selected fungi (Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans) and bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus). These types of ligands and complexes therefore present themselves as excellent radio models for further evaluation using ¹⁸⁶Re, ¹⁸⁸Re and ^99mTc to potentially study the radiotoxicity of appropriately designed complexes.

Synthesis and evaluation of new mixed "2 + 1" Re, 99mTc and 186Re tricarbonyl dithiocarbamate complexes with different monodentate ligands

A series of "2 + 1" mixed ligand tricarbonyl complexes of the general formula fac-[Re/^99mTc/¹⁸⁶Re(CO)₃(DDTC)(L)] containing diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) as a monoanionic bidentate ligand and a series of monodentate ligands L was synthesized, characterized and evaluated. The impact of ligand L on the radiochemical yield (RCY) and biodistribution of the final compounds was also investigated. DDTC and the appropriate L ligand [cyclohexyl isocyanide (cisc), tert-butyl isocyanide (tbi), triphenylphosphine (PPh₃), methyldiphenylphosphine (PPh₂Me), triphenylarsine (AsPh₃), imidazole (im), and 4-aminopyridine (4AP)] readily reacted in equimolar amounts with the [Et₄N]₂[Re(CO)₃Br₃] precursor to afford fac-[Re(CO)₃(DDTC)(cisc)], Re1, fac-[Re(CO)₃(DDTC)(tbi)], Re2, fac-[Re(CO)₃(DDTC)(PPh₃)], Re3, fac-[Re(CO)₃(DDTC)(PPh₂Me)], Re4, fac-[Re(CO)₃(DDTC)(AsPh₃)], Re5, fac-[Re(CO)₃(DDTC)(im)], Re6 and fac-[Re(CO)₃(DDTC)(4AP)], Re7, complexes in high yields (>80%). All Re complexes were fully characterized by IR, NMR, and in addition Re4, Re5, and Re7 with X-ray crystallography. Analogous reactions as performed with Re were subsequently explored on the ^99mTc and ¹⁸⁶Re-tracer levels using the corresponding fac-[^99mTc/¹⁸⁶Re(CO)₃(H₂O)₃]⁺ precursor. Complexes ^99mTc1 - ^99mTc5, ¹⁸⁶Re1 and ¹⁸⁶Re3 were obtained in high radiochemical yield (>91%), while the complexes ^99mTc6, ^99mTc7 and ¹⁸⁶Re7 formed with radiochemical yields of 55%, 28%, and 75%, respectively. The ^99mTc and ¹⁸⁶Re-complexes were characterized by comparative HPLC analysis using the analogous Re complexes. During histidine and cysteine challenge experiments at 37 °C through 6 h, complexes ^99mTc1 - ^99mTc5 remained > 92% stable, while complexes ^99mTc6 and ^99mTc7 remained only 8% stable through 3 h. Similar studies for ¹⁸⁶Re-complexes showed that ¹⁸⁶Re1 and ¹⁸⁶Re3 remained > 95% stable for up to 48 h, while ¹⁸⁶Re7 had decreased to 7% after 3 h. LogD_7.4 data of ^99mTc1 - ^99mTc5, ¹⁸⁶Re1, and ¹⁸⁶Re3 complexes, which ranged from 2.59 to 3.39, suggested high lipophilicity. Biodistribution studies in healthy Swiss albino mice showed hepatobiliary excretion for ^99mTc1, ^99mTc2, and ^99mTc4, fast blood clearance for ^99mTc4, while high liver uptake and retention for ^99mTc3 and ^99mTc5 were measured. Moreover, ^99mTc2 showed high accumulation in the lungs with sustained retention (52.80% ID/g at 4 h p.i.) and significant brain uptake at 2 min p.i. (1.89% ID/g). The study showed the great influence of monodentate ligand in the synthesis and biodistribution of the mixed ligand complexes.

Exploring preliminary structural relationships and mitochondrial targeting of fac-[MI(CO)3]-bis(diarylphosphino)alkylamine complexes (M = 99Tc, Re)

Preliminary structural relationships in fac-[MI(CO)3]-bis(diarylphosphino)alkylamine complexes (M = 99Tc, Re), antimicrobial and mitochondrial targeting are reported.

In vivo biodistribution study of TAT-L-Sco2 fusion protein, developed as protein therapeutic for mitochondrial disorders attributed to SCO2 mutations

The rapid progress achieved in the development of many biopharmaceuticals had a tremendous impact on the therapy of many metabolic/genetic disorders. This type of fruitful approach, called protein replacement therapy (PRT), aimed to either replace the deficient or malfunctional protein in human tissues that act either in plasma membrane or via a specific cell surface receptor. However, there are also many metabolic/genetic disorders attributed to either deficient or malfunctional proteins acting intracellularly. The recent developments of Protein Transduction Domain (PTD) technology offer new opportunities by allowing the intracellular delivery of recombinant proteins of a given therapeutic interest into different subcellular sites and organelles, such as mitochondria and other entities. Towards this pathway, we applied successfully PTD Technology as a protein therapeutic approach, in vitro, in SCO2 deficient primary fibroblasts, derived from patient with mutations in human SCO2 gene, responsible for fatal, infantile cardioencephalomyopathy and cytochrome c oxidase deficiency.

In this work, we radiolabeled the recombinant TAT-L-Sco2 fusion protein with technetium-99 m to assess its in vivo biodistribution and fate, by increasing the sensitivity of detection of even low levels of the transduced recombinant protein. The biodistribution pattern of [^99mTc]Tc-TAT-L-Sco2 in mice demonstrated fast blood clearance, significant hepatobiliary and renal clearance. In addition, western blot analysis detected the recombinant TAT-L-Sco2 protein in the isolated mitochondria of several mouse tissues, including heart, muscle and brain. These results pave the way to further consider this PTD-mediated Protein Therapy Approach as a potentially alternative treatment of genetic/metabolic disorders.

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Radiolabeling of human recombinant mitochondrial TAT-L-Sco2 fusion protein with ^99mTc for the first time.

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[^99mTc]Tc-TAT-L-Sco2 can be successfully transduced into the mitochondria of peripheral tissues upon injection into animals.

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Protein Replacement Therapy, through PTD technology, can be a potential therapeutic approach for mitochondrial disorders.

Recent Studies on the Antimicrobial Activity of Transition Metal Complexes of Groups 6–12

Antimicrobial resistance is an increasingly serious threat to global public health that requires innovative solutions to counteract new resistance mechanisms emerging and spreading globally in infectious pathogens. Classic organic antibiotics are rapidly exhausting the structural variations available for an effective antimicrobial drug and new compounds emerging from the industrial pharmaceutical pipeline will likely have a short-term and limited impact before the pathogens can adapt. Inorganic and organometallic complexes offer the opportunity to discover and develop new active antimicrobial agents by exploiting their wide range of three-dimensional geometries and virtually infinite design possibilities that can affect their substitution kinetics, charge, lipophilicity, biological targets and modes of action. This review describes recent studies on the antimicrobial activity of transition metal complexes of groups 6–12. It focuses on the effectiveness of the metal complexes in relation to the rich structural chemical variations of the same. The aim is to provide a short vade mecum for the readers interested in the subject that can complement other reviews.

Ambient and high-pressure kinetic investigation of methanol substitution in fac-[Re(Trop)(CO)3(MeOH)] by different monodentate nucleophiles

First report of high-pressure methanol substitution by entering monodentate L forms fac-[Re(CO)₃(Trop)(L)] {ΔV^≠_(kL) = +9 – +14 cm⁻³ mol⁻¹}, indicating dissociative/dissociative interchange activation.

Supramolecular structures of rhenium(I) complexes mediated by ligand planarity via the interplay of substituents

The crystal and molecular structures of two Re^I tricarbonyl complexes, namely fac-tricarbonylchlorido[1-(4-fluorocinnamoyl)-3-(pyridin-2-yl-κN)pyrazole-κN²]rhenium(I), [ReCl(C₁₇H₁₂FN₃O)(CO)₃], (I), and fac-tricarbonylchlorido[1-(4-nitrocinnamoyl)-3-(pyridin-2-yl-κN)pyrazole-κN²]rhenium(I) acetone monosolvate, [ReCl(C₁₇H₁₂ClN₄O₃)(CO)₃]·C₃H₆O, (II), are reported. The complexes form centrosymmetric dimers that are linked into one-dimensional columns by C-H...Cl and N-O...H interactions in (I) and (II), respectively. C-H...Cl interactions in (II) generate two R₂¹(7) loops that merge into a single R₂¹(10) loop. These interactions involve the alkene, pyrazole and benzene rings, hence restricting the ligand rotation and giving rise to a planar conformation. Unlike (II), complex (I) exhibits a twisted conformation of the ligand and a pair of molecules forms a centrosymmetric dimer with an R₂²(10) loop via C-H...O interactions. The unique supramolecular structures of (I) and (II) are determined by their planarity and weak interactions. The planar conformation of (II) provides a base for appreciable π-π stacking interactions compared to (I). In addition, an N-O...π interaction stabilizes the supramolecular structure of (II). We report herein the first n→π* interactions of Re^I tricarbonyl complexes, which account for 0.33 kJ mol^-1. Intermolecular C-H...Cl and C-H...O interactions are present in both complexes, with (II) showing a greater preference for these interactions compared to (I), with cumulative contributions of 48.7 and 41.5%, respectively. The influence of inductive (fluoro) and/or resonance (nitro) effects on the π-stacking ability was further supported by LOLIPOP (localized orbital locator-integrated π over plane) analysis. The benzene ring of (II) demonstrated a higher π-stacking ability compared to that of (I), which is supported by the intrinsic planar geometry. The HOMA (harmonic oscillator model of aromaticity) index of (I) revealed more aromaticity with respect to (II), suggesting that NO₂ greatly perturbed the aromaticity. The Hirshfeld fingerprint (FP) plots revealed the preference of (II) over (I) for π-π contacts, with contributions of 6.8 and 4.4%, respectively.

Modifications of quinolones and fluoroquinolones: hybrid compounds and dual-action molecules

ABSTRACT

This review is aimed to provide extensive survey of quinolones and fluoroquinolones for a variety of applications ranging from metal complexes and nanoparticle development to hybrid conjugates with therapeutic uses. The review covers the literature from the past 10 years with emphasis placed on new applications and mechanisms of pharmacological action of quinolone derivatives. The following are considered: metal complexes, nanoparticles and nanodrugs, polymers, proteins and peptides, NO donors and analogs, anionic compounds, siderophores, phosphonates, and prodrugs with enhanced lipophilicity, phototherapeutics, fluorescent compounds, triazoles, hybrid drugs, bis-quinolones, and other modifications. This review provides a comprehensive resource, summarizing a broad range of important quinolone applications with great utility as a resource concerning both chemical modifications and also novel hybrid bifunctional therapeutic agents.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Synthesis, characterization and biological evaluation of Pd(ii), Cu(ii), Re(i) and 99mTc(i) thiazole-based complexes

A new thiazole-containing multidentate ligand 2-((2-phenylthiazol-4-yl)methylthio)ethanamine, L, was synthesized and used to prepare new complexes of the formula Pd^IILCl₂ (Pd-L), Cu^IIL₂Cl₂ (Cu-L) and fac-[Re/^99mTc^I(CO)₃(L)]⁺ (Re/^99mTc-L). The ligand L and the metal complexes were characterized spectroscopically. Furthermore, the structures of Re-L and Cu-L were elucidated by X-ray crystallography. Ligand L acts as a bidentate (N_th, S) chelator in Pd-L, as a bidentate (N, S) chelator in Cu-L and as a tridentate (N_th, S, N) chelator in Re-L. The radiotracer ^99mTc-L was synthesized in high yield and characterised by HPLC comparison with the Re-L analog. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic properties. The compounds exhibited low anti-inflammatory activity with Pd-L showing the highest activity among them. The cytotoxic activity of the ligand and the complexes against several human cancer cell lines (cervical adenocarcinoma HeLa, colorectal adenocarcinoma LS-174T, lung adenocarcinoma A549, breast adenocarcinoma MDA-MB-231 and normal human lung fibroblast cell line MRC-5) was examined using the MTT assay. The complex Cu-L exhibited the highest cytotoxicity and the complex Pd-L showed the best tumor selectivity. The changes in the cell cycle phase distribution were determined by flow cytometry and it was found that ligand L shows the highest apoptotic activity. The biodistribution studies of ^99mTc-L in mice showed fast tissue clearance. Of all the thiazole-containing compounds, the palladium complex appears to be more promising for future efforts.

Combining imaging and anticancer properties with new heterobimetallic Pt(ii)/M(i) (M = Re, 99mTc) complexes

In this article, we report on the development of new metal-based anticancer agents with imaging, chemotherapeutic and photosensitizing properties. Hence, a new heterobimetallic complex (Pt-LQ-Re) was prepared by connecting a non-conventional trans-chlorido Pt(ii) complex to a photoactive Re tricarbonyl unit (LQ-Re), which can be replaced by ^99mTc to allow for in vivo imaging. We describe the photophysical and biological properties of the new complexes, in the dark and upon light irradiation (DNA interaction, cellular localization and uptake, and cytotoxicity). Furthermore, planar scintigraphic images of mice injected with Pt-LQ-Tc clearly showed that the radioactive compound is taken up by the excretory system organs, namely liver and kidneys, without significant retention in other tissues. All in all, the strategy of conjugating a chemotherapeutic compound with a PDT photosensitizer endows the resulting complexes with an intrinsic cytotoxic activity in the dark, driven by the non-classical platinum core, and a selective activity upon light irradiation. Most importantly, the possibility of integrating a SPECT imaging radiometal (^99mTc) in the structure of these new heterobimetallic complexes might allow for in vivo non-invasive visualization of their tumoral accumulation, a crucial issue to predict therapeutic outcomes.

Cyclometallated ruthenium(ii) complexes with 3-acetyl-2[H]-chromene-2-one derived CNS chelating ligand systems: synthesis, X-ray characterization and biological evaluation

The presented work focuses on the synthesis and biological evaluation of 3-acetylcoumarin Schiff bases and their cyclometallated ruthenium(ii) metallates.

Anticancer activity of complexes of the third row transition metals, rhenium, osmium, and iridium

A summary of recent developments on the anticancer activity of complexes of rhenium, osmium, and iridium is described.

An investigation on 3-acetyl-7-methoxy-coumarin Schiff bases and their Ru(ii) metallates with potent antiproliferative activity and enhanced LDH and NO release

New cyclometallated ruthenium(ii) complexes of 3-acetyl-7-methoxycoumarin-4N-substituted thiosemicarbazones were synthesized and characterized by analytical and spectral techniques.

Synthesis, characterization and biological studies of a cobalt(III) complex of sulfathiazole

The emergence of old and new antibiotic resistance created in the last decades revealed a substantial medical need for new classes of antimicrobial agents. The antimicrobial activity of sulfa drugs is often enhanced by complexation with metal ions, which is in concordance with the well-known importance of metal ions in biological systems. Besides, sulfonamides and its derivatives constitute an important class of drugs, with several types of pharmacological agents possessing antibacterial, anti-carbonic anhydrase, diuretic, hypoglycemic, antithyroid, antiviral and anticancer activities, among others. The purpose of this work has been the obtainment, characterization and determination of biological properties (antibacterial, antifungal, mutagenicity and phytotoxicity) of a new Co(III)-sulfathiazole complex: Costz, besides of its interaction with bovine serum albumin (BSA). The reaction between sodium sulfathiazole (Nastz) and cobalt(II) chloride in the presence of H₂O₂ leads to a brown solid, [Co^III(stz)₂OH(H₂O)₃], (Costz). The structure of this compound has been examined by means of elemental analyses, FT-IR, ¹H NMR, UV-Visible spectrometric methods and thermal studies. The Co(III) ion, which exhibits a distorted octahedral environment, could coordinate with the N thiazolic atom of sulfathiazolate. The complex quenched partially the native fluorescence of bovine serum albumin (BSA), suggesting a specific interaction with the protein. The Costz complex showed, in vitro, a moderate antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus and A. flavus. As antibacterial, Costz displayed, in vitro, enhanced activity respective to the ligand against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Costz did not show mutagenic properties with the Ames test. In the Allium cepa test the complex showed cytotoxic properties but not genotoxic ones. These results may be auspicious, however, further biological studies are needed to consider the complex Costz as a possible drug in the future.