Iron (III) and zinc (II) monodentate Schiff base metal complexes: Synthesis, characterisation and biological activities

Transition Metal Complexes as Therapeutics: A New Frontier in Combatting Neurodegenerative Disorders through Protein Aggregation Modulation

Neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) are a class of debilitating diseases that progressively impair the protein structure and result in neurological dysfunction in the nervous system. Among these disorders, Alzheimer's disease (AD), prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), and Parkinson's disease (PD) are caused by protein misfolding and aggregation at the cellular level. In recent years, transition metal complexes have gained significant attention for their potential applications in diagnosing, imaging, and curing these NDDs. These complexes have intriguing possibilities as therapeutics due to their diverse ligand systems and chemical properties and can interact with biological systems with minimal detrimental effects. This review focuses on the recent progress in transition metal therapeutics as a new era of hope in the battle against AD, CJD, and PD by modulating protein aggregation in vitro and in vivo. It may shed revolutionary insights into unlocking new opportunities for researchers to develop metal-based drugs to combat NDDs.

A Comprehensive on Synthesis and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Substituted-Arylideneamino-5-(5-Chlorobenzofuran-2-yl)-1, 2, 4-Triazole-3-Thiol Derivatives/ Schiff Bases

Schiff bases are well known and popular classes of organic compounds containing imine (R2C = NH) group that are widely used as catalysts and intermediates in numerous organic transformations. Schiff bases are medicinally very important because they exhibit antimicrobial like antibacterial, antiviral and anticancer activities. Benzofuran based Schiff bases have been found as interesting scaffolds for the synthesis and design of biologically active agents. Moreover, they possess a wide range of biological activities against fungal, bacterial, malarial, inflammatory and viral diseases. In this reviw, substituted-arylideneamino-5-(5-chlorobenzofuran-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiols have been synthesized by using efficient synthetic protocols. The synthesized derivatives are also evaluated against different bacterial strains.

Zinc(II) Iminopyridine Complexes as Antibacterial Agents: A Structure-to-Activity Study

Antibiotic resistance is currently a global health emergency. Metallodrugs, especially metal coordination complexes, comprise a broad variety of candidates to combat antibacterial infections. In this work, we designed a new family of Schiff base zinc(II) complexes with iminopyridine as an organic ligand and different inorganic ligands: chloride, nitrate, and acetate. The antibacterial effect of the Zn(II) complexes was studied against planktonic bacterial cells of Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) strains. The results showed a moderate biocide activity in both types of planktonic bacteria, which arises from the metal complexation to the Schiff base ligand. Importantly, we confirmed the crucial effect of the metal, with Zn(II) improving the activity of Cu(II) counterparts previously reported. On the other hand, the impact of the inorganic ligands was not significant for the antibacterial effect but was relevant for the complex solubility. Finally, as proof of concept of topical antibacterial formulation, we formulated an emulsion containing the most lipophilic Zn(II) complex and confirmed a sustained release for 24 h in a vertical cell diffusion assay. The promising activity of iminopyridine Zn(II) complexes is potentially worth exploring in more detailed studies.

A piperazine- modified Schiff base sensor for highly selective detection of Zr (IV) ions: unveiling its antioxidant potential and regulatory effects on Zea mays growth

Piperazine functionalized Schiff bases 4(a-c) were synthesized by a condensation reaction which were thoroughly characterized by using various spectroscopic techniques like 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR and mass spectrometry. X-ray crystallography was used to analyse synthesized compound 4b. The sensing capability of 4b was investigated towards the tetravalent form of the zirconium ion among other metal ions. The limit of detection and the association constant, were calculated to be 56.4 × 10-8 M and 5.36 × 105 M-1 respectively. The inclusion of additional metal ions had no effect on the selectivity of sensor 4b. The binding mechanism was clarified using 1HNMR spectroscopy, which was further verified computationally, using DFT. Also, the seed germination experiments were performed and effect of compound 4b was analyzed on the seedlings of Zea Mays. An investigation into molecular docking study using (5HQX) protein revealed that it had inhibitory effects on cytokinin oxidase. The protein and ligand effectively associate, as indicated by the lower binding energy of -9.69 kcal/mol. Therefore, compound 4b can act as a good, powerful inhibitor against cytokinin oxidase.

Synthesis and Spectroscopic Characterization of Schiff Base Metal Complexes, Biological Activity, and Molecular Docking Studies

New cobalt(II), copper(II), and zinc(II) Schiff metal complexes were synthesized by the condensation reaction of 4-nitrobenzene-1,2-diamine with 3-4-(diethylamino)-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde. Fourier transform infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, ultraviolet-visible, electron paramagnetic resonance, and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and powder X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the synthesized H2L and its metal complexes. Conductance measurements, magnetic moment estimation, and metal estimation have all been determined and discussed. The electrochemical properties of the synthesized compounds have been determined and discussed using cyclic voltammetry. The molecular structures of H2L and its metal complexes have been optimized using the B3LYP functional and the 6-31G (d,p) basis set, and their parameters have been discussed. The quantum chemical properties of these synthesized compounds have been predicted through charge distribution and molecular orbital analysis. The biological properties of the synthesized compounds' antioxidant, antifungal, and antibacterial activity have been studied and discussed. Furthermore, H2L and its complexes have been docked with HER2-associated target proteins in breast cancer.

Iron-Imine Cocktail in Drug Development: A Contemporary Update

Organometallic drug development is still in its early stage, but recent studies show that organometallics having iron as the central atom have the possibility of becoming good drug candidates because iron is an important micro-nutrient, and it is compatible with many biological systems, including the human body. Being an eco-friendly Lewis acid, iron can accept the lone pair of electrons from imino(sp2)-nitrogen, and the resultant iron-imine complexes with iron as a central atom have the possibility of interacting with several proteins and enzymes in humans. Iron-imine complexes have demonstrated significant potential with anticancer, bactericidal, fungicidal, and other medicinal activities in recent years. This article systematically discusses major synthetic methods and pharmacological potentials of iron-imine complexes having in vitro activity to significant clinical performance from 2016 to date. In a nutshell, this manuscript offers a simplistic view of iron complexes in medicinal inorganic chemistry: for instance, iron is presented as an "eco-friendly non-toxic" metal (as opposed to platinum) that will lead to non-toxic pharmaceuticals. The abundant literature on iron chelators shows that many iron complexes, particularly if redox-active in cells, can be quite cytotoxic, which can be beneficial for future targeted therapies. While we made every effort to include all the related papers, any omission is purely unintentional.

Inhibition of amyloid β1-42 peptide aggregation by newly designed cyclometallated palladium complexes

Uncontrolled amyloid aggregation is a frequent cause of neurodegenerative disorders such as prions and Alzheimer's disease (AD). As a result, many drug development approaches focus on evaluating novel molecules that can alter self-recognition pathways. Herein, we designed and synthesized the cyclometallated pyrene (Pd-1 and Pd-3) and anthracene (Pd-2) based palladium complexes ([Pd((L1)Cl] Pd-1, [Pd(L2)Cl](Pd-2), and [Pd(L3)Cl] (Pd-3)). This study explores the effect of these complexes on the aggregation, fibrillation, and amyloid formation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and Aβ1-42 peptide. Several spectroscopic methods were used to characterize all the Pd-complexes, and the molecular structure of Pd-3 was determined by X-ray crystallography. The secondary structures were studied using circular dichroism (CD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), while amyloid aggregation and inhibitory activities were investigated using the Thioflavin-T (ThT) fluorescence assay. Molecular docking of the Pd-complex (Pd-3) was done using fibril (PDB: 2BEG) and monomeric (PDB: 1IYT) peptides using Auto-dock Vina. As a result, the hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction between the aromatic rings of the Pd-complexes and the amino acids of amyloid-β peptides significantly reduced the production of ordered β-sheets of amyloid fibrils and protein aggregation in the presence of Pd-2 and Pd-3 complexes.

Combustion process of a promising catalyst [Cu(Salen)] for HMX-CMDB propellants

Metal organic complexes are regarded as a series of promising combustion catalysts for solid rocket propellants. Their effects on the combustion performance of propellants are closely related to the reaction mechanism. Here, the metal-organic complex Cu(Salen) was investigated as a candidate material for the combustion catalyst of the HMX-added composite modified double-base propellant (HMX-CMDB). The combustion performance of the propellant was found to be evidently enhanced in the presence of Cu(Salen) compared with the propellant samples containing Benzoic-Cu or without catalyst. The addition of Cu(Salen) can improve the burning rate and combustion efficiency of the propellant - and greatly reduce the burning rate pressure index. Analysis shows that the addition of Cu(Salen) can increase the combustion area, flame brightness and combustion surface uniformity of the propellant to a higher degree. The sample can spray more beams of bright filaments on the flat combustion section, and the amount of gas generated by decomposition also greatly increases. In addition, Cu(Salen) shows amazing advantages in improving the surface of the propellant and the temperature gradient of the combustion flame.

Novel palladium(II) and Zinc(II) Schiff base complexes: Synthesis, biophysical studies, and anticancer activity investigation

BACKGROUND

Schiff base metal complexes are considered promising chemotherapeutic agents due to their potential application in cancer therapy.

METHODS

The current work sought to synthesize a brand-new Schiff base ligand obtained from 2-hydroxybenzohydrazide and (E)- 1-(2-(p-tolyl)hydrazono)propan-2-one with metal ions which included Pd(II) and Zn(II) ions. Elemental analyses, FT-IR, mass spectra, 1H NMR, UV-Vis spectrometer, and computational analysis characterized the compound's structure. In vitro, the breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) was tested for its sensitivity to Schiff base (HL) and its Pd(II) and Zn(II) complexes. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration IC₅₀ of the compounds was determined and used to perform the comet assay, which was carried out to reveal the photo-induced DNA damaging ability of the compounds of individual cells. Moreover, the compounds' effects on antioxidant defense systems of enzymes in cells: superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities and oxidant Malondialdehyde (MDA) were examined in MCF-7 cells.

RESULTS

The Pd(II) complex displayed approximately the same IC₅₀ as Cisplatin, while Zn(II) complex had better activity than Cisplatin with very low IC₅₀, 1.40 μg/ml. Significant alterations in SOD, CAT, GPx, and MDA production were discovered, inducing oxidative stress, enlarging ROS production, and reducing the antioxidant amount. This change was approximately similar in most compounds. Consequently, it promoted apoptosis, particularly the Zn(II) complex, which demonstrated an improved impact because of its ability to influence the antioxidant defense systems of enzymes, mostly SOD and GPx, besides increasing MDA levels.

CONCLUSION

It can be concluded that Zn(II) complex is the most effective anticancer drug since it induced a very similar genotoxic effect as Cisplatin and has a very low IC₅₀ value.

A Comprehensive Survey on the Expediated Anti-COVID-19 Options Enabled by Metal Complexes-Tasks and Trials

Contemporary pharmacology dating back to the late 19th/early 20th centuries has benefitted largely from the incorporation of metal complexes. Various biological attributes have been successfully realized using metal/metal complex-based drugs. Among anticancer, antimicrobial, and antiviral applications, anticancer applications have extracted the maximum benefit from the metal complex, Cisplatin. The following review has compiled the various antiviral benefits harnessed through inputs from metal complexes. As a result of exploiting the pharmacological aspects of metal complexes, the anti-COVID-19 deliverables have been summarized. The challenges ahead, the gaps in this research area, the need to improvise incorporating nanoaspects in metal complexes, and the need to test metal complex-based drugs in clinical trials have been discussed and deliberated. The pandemic shook the entire world and claimed quite a percentage of the global population. Metal complex-based drugs are already established for their antiviral property with respect to enveloped viruses and extrapolating them for COVID-19 can be an effective way to manipulate drug resistance and mutant issues that the current anti-COVID-19 drugs are facing.

Iron(III) Complexes with Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: Structure, Antioxidant and Anticholinergic Activity, and Interaction with Biomolecules

One the main research goals of bioinorganic chemists is the synthesis of novel coordination compounds possessing biological potency. Within this context, three novel iron(III) complexes with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs diflunisal and diclofenac in the presence or absence of the nitrogen donors 1,10-phenanthroline or pyridine were isolated and characterized by diverse techniques. The complexes were evaluated for their ability to scavenge in vitro free radicals such as hydroxyl, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radicals, revealing their selective potency towards hydroxyl radicals. The in vitro inhibitory activity of the complexes towards the enzymes acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase was evaluated, and their potential to achieve neuroprotection appeared promising. The interaction of the complexes with calf-thymus DNA was examined in vitro, revealing their ability to intercalate in-between DNA nucleobases. The affinity of the complexes for serum albumins was evaluated in vitro and revealed their tight and reversible binding.

Design and synthesis of ruthenium complexes and their studies on the inhibition of amyloid β (1-42) peptide aggregation

Misfolding and protein aggregation have been linked to numerous human neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, prions, and Parkinson's. Due to their interesting photophysical properties, ruthenium (Ru) complexes have received considerable attention in studying protein aggregation. In this study, we synthesized the novel Ru complexes ([Ru(p-cymene)Cl(L-1)][PF₆](Ru-1), and [Ru(p-cymene)Cl(L-2)][PF₆](Ru-2)) and investigated their inhibitory activity against the bovine serum albumin (BSA) aggregation and the Aβ_1-42 peptides amyloid formation. Several spectroscopic methods were used to characterize the complexes, and the molecular structure was determined by X-ray crystallography. Amyloid aggregation and inhibition activity were examined using the Thioflavin-T (ThT) assay, and secondary structures were analyzed by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The cell viability assay was carried out on the neuroblastoma cell line, revealing that the Ru-2 complex showed better protective effects against Aβ_1-42 peptide toxicity on neuro-2a cells than the Ru-1 complex. Molecular docking studies elucidate binding sites and interactions between the Ru-complexes and the Aβ_1-42 fibrils. The experimental studies revealed that these complexes significantly inhibited BSA aggregation and Aβ_1-42 amyloid fibril formation at 1:3 and 1:1 equimolar concentrations, respectively. Antioxidant assays demonstrated that these complexes act as antioxidants, protecting from amyloid-induced oxidative stress. Molecular docking studies with the monomeric Aβ_1-42 (PDB: 1IYT) show hydrophobic interaction, and both complexes bind preferably in the central region of the peptide and coordinate with two binding sites of the peptide. Hence, we suggest that the Ru-based complexes could be applied as a potential agent in metallopharmaceutical research against Alzheimer's disease.

Antifungal Activity, Structure-Activity Relationship and Molecular Docking Studies of 1,2,4-Triazole Schiff Base Derivatives

Fourteen novel Schiff base compounds (AS-1∼AS-14) containing 5-amino-1H-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxylic acid and substituted benzaldehyde were successfully synthesized, and their structures were verified by melting point, elemental analysis (EA) and spectroscopic techniques (Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FT-IR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)). In vitro hyphal measurements were used to investigate the antifungal activities of the synthesised compounds against Wheat gibberellic, Maize rough dwarf and Glomerella cingulate. The preliminary studies indicated that all compounds had good inhibitory effect on Wheat gibberellic and Maize rough dwarf, among which the compounds of AS-1 (7.44 mg/L, 7.27 mg/L), AS-4 (6.80 mg/L, 9.57 mg/L) and AS-14 (5.33 mg/L, 6.53 mg/L) showed better antifungal activity than that of the standard drug fluconazole (7.66 mg/L, 6.72 mg/L); while inhibitory effect against Glomerella cingulate was poor, only AS-14 (5.67 mg/L) was superior to that of fluconazole (6.27 mg/L). The research of structure-activity relationship exhibited that the introduction of halogen elements on the benzene ring and electron withdrawing groups at the 2,4,5 positions on the benzene ring was beneficial to the improvement of the activity against Wheat gibberellic, while the large steric hindrance was not conducive to the improvement of the activity. Additionally, except for AS-1, AS-3 and AS-10, the other compounds had one or several ratio systems to achieve synergistic effect after recombination with pyrimethamine, among which AS-7 had significant synergistic effect and was expected to be a combinated agent with application prospects. Finally, the molecular docking results of isocitrate lyase with Wheat gibberellic displayed that the presence of hydrogen bonds enabled stable binding of compounds to receptor proteins, and the residues of ARG A: 252, ASN A: 432, CYS A: 215, SER A: 436 and SER A: 434 were the key residues for their binding. Comparing the docking binding energy and biological activity results, it was revealed that the lower the docking binding energy was, the stronger the inhibitory ability of the Wheat gibberellic, when the same position on the benzene ring was substituted.

DFT calculations, molecular docking, in vitro antimicrobial and antidiabetic studies of green synthesized Schiff bases: as Covid-19 inhibitor

In this investigation, we synthesized Schiff bases 2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-N-(4-methylbenzylidene)ethanamine, N-(4-methoxybenzylidene)-2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)ethanamine and 2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-N-(4-nitrobenzylidene)ethanamine from 2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)ethanamine and various aromatic aldehydes by the environmentally friendly sonication method. The B3LYP method with a 6-311++G (d, p) basis set was used in the DFT calculation to obtain the optimized structure of the Schiff base MPEA-NIT. The compounds were tested in vitro for inhibition of bacterial growth (disc well method) and inhibition of α-amylase (starch-iodine method). The compounds tested showed inhibitory activities. In addition, they were subjected to PASS analysis, drug likeness, and bioactivity score predictions using online software. To confirm the experimental findings, molecular docking analyses of synthesized compounds on α-amylase (PDB ID: 1SMD), tRNA threonylcarbamoyladenosine (PDB ID: 5MVR), glycosyl transferase (PDB ID: 6D9T), and peptididoglycan D,D-transpeptidase (PDB ID: 6HZQ) were performed. The emergence of a new coronavirus epidemic necessitates the development of antiviral medications (SARS-CoV-2). Docking active site interactions were investigated to predict compounds' activity against COVID-19 by binding with the SARS-CoV-2 (PDB ID: 6Y84).Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Synergism antibacterial activity for novel synthesized Schiff base ligands and semi-thiosemicarbazones with ß-diketones and 4-aminoantipyrine

Schiff base ligands were synthesised in this work, the first is (Z)-2-((Z)-3-((1,5-dimethyl-3-oxo-2-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)imino)-1,3-diphenylpropylidene) hydrazine-1-carboxamide, the second is (Z)-2-((1E,5Z,6E)-5-((1,5-dimethyl-3-oxo-2-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)imino)-1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)hepta-1,6-dien-3-ylidene)hydrazine-1-carbothioamide. The Schiff base ligands both were synthesised using the same method (the single pot reaction), using EtOH as the reaction medium and GAA as the catalyst in fixed temperature at 70 0C and reflux for 6 hrs. The starting materials of HL1 were semicarbazide,4-aminoantipyrine and dibenzoyl methane, while the starting materials of HL2 were TSC, 4-AAP and Curcumin. The ligands proved to be bi-dentate ligands that coordinate from the azomethane groups. FT-IR, U.V-Visible, 1H and 13C- NMR, molar conductivity, and magnetic susceptibility were used to identify all the compounds produced. The metal ions used in preparing the complexes in this work were Co(II), Cu(II) and Cr(III). Schiff base and its complexes were evaluated for antibacterial activity against four bacterial strains of Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus Subtilis) and two types of fungi (Candida albicans and Rhizopus Sporium), the results were positive for all compounds tested. Keywords: Schiff base, Curcumin, 4-aminoantipyrine

Synthesis, characterization, and biological evaluation of some novel Schiff bases as potential metabolic enzyme inhibitors

In this study, a series of novel Schiff base derivatives containing a pyrazolone ring (2a-e) were designed, successfully synthesized for the first time, and characterized by elemental analysis and some spectroscopic methods. These compounds were tested for their inhibitory activities on acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and the human carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes I and II (hCA I and II). All synthesized molecules indicated significant inhibition effects with IC₅₀ values ranging from 14.15 to 107.62 nM against these enzymes. Compound 2d showed the most potent inhibitory activity among the tested molecules toward AChE and BChE (IC₅₀  = 15.07 and 14.15 nM) compared to the standard drug neostigmine. We determined that the IC₅₀ values of the tested molecules ranged between 16.86 and 57.96 nM for hCA I and 15.24-46.21 nM for hCA II. As a consequence, we may say that some of the Schiff base derivatives may be used as potential drug candidates in later studies.

A highly potential acyclic Schiff base fluorescent turn on sensor for Zn2+ ions and colorimetric chemosensor for Zn2+, Cu2+ and Co2+ ions and its applicability in live cell imaging

Herein, we report two acyclic Schiff base receptors CS-1 and CS-2 capable of being selective fluorescent turn on for Zn2+ions and colorimetric chemosensor for Zn2+, Cu2+, and Co2+ ions by showing a colour change from colourless to yellow in 1:1 ratio of acetonitrile and HEPES buffer (1:1, v/v, pH 7.4) without the interference from other metal ions screened (Cd2+, Hg2+, Sn2+, Ni2+, Cr3+, Mn2+, Pb2+, Ba2+, Al3+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+ and Na+). The fluorescence turn on enhancement towards Zn2+ ions is ascribed to PET blocking, suppression of -C=N- isomerisation, and the ESIPT process. The selectivity, competitivity and reversibility of the synthesised probes (CS-1 and CS-2) made them promising chemosensors for the detection of Zn2+, Cu2+, and Co2+ ions. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations have theoretically endorsed the colorimetric changes in the examined absorption spectra and binding mode of both CS-1/CS-2 with metals ions. In addition, 1H NMR titrations were also consistent with the recognition mechanism of Zn2+ ions with the CS-1/CS-2. Further, the Jobs plot analysis infers a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio for both evaluating receptors CS-1 and CS-2 with Zn2+, Cu2+ and Co2+ ions and was supported by DFT, NMR (only for Zn2+ ions), UV-Visible, and fluorescence spectroscopic studies. Moreover, the detection limits of CS-1 and CS-2 for Zn2+ ions were determined to be 7.69 and 5.35 nM, respectively, which is less compared to the detection limit of Cu2+, Co2+ ions as well as the limit approved by the United State Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). The probes CS-1 and CS-2 found to show high fluorescence quantum yields at pH = 7 during the titration with Zn2+ as compared with other pHs (5-6 and 8-11). Gratifyingly, fluorescence microscopy imaging in HeLa cells revealed that the pair of receptors can be employed as an excellent fluorescent probe for the detection of Zn2+ions in living cells, indicating that this facile chemosensor has a huge potential in cellular imaging.

Effects of electroporation on anticancer activity of 5-FU and newly synthesized zinc(II) complex in chemotherapy-resistance human brain tumor cells

Zn(II) complex of Schiff base derived from the condensation of 4-aminopyrimidine-2(1H)-one with salicylaldehyde was prepared and characterized by various physico-chemical and spectral methods for structure determination. The cytotoxic activity of the Zn(II) complex was investigated in comparison with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) against two different human brain tumor cell lines (T98G and U118), while primer human dermal fibroblast cells (HDF) was used as control for biocompatibility. Then, the effectiveness of electroporation (EP) on cytotoxic activities of these compounds has been examined. The cytotoxicities of the 5-FU and new Zn(II) complex, alone or in combination with electroporation, were determined by MTT assay. The Zn(II) complex showed good cytotoxicity against T98G and U118 brain tumor cell lines with IC₅₀ = 282.47 and 297.91 μM respectively, while it was safe on HDF healthy cells with IC₅₀ = 826.72 μM. The 5-FU exhibited less cytotoxicity compared to the Zn(II) complex against T98G (IC₅₀ = 382.35 μM) and U118 (IC₅₀ = 396.56 μM) tumor cell lines. The combined application of Zn (II) + EP decreased the IC₅₀ value by 5.96-fold in T98G cells and 4.76-fold in U118 cells. EP showed a similar effect in its combined application with 5-FU, resulting in a decrease of the IC₅₀ value of 4.22-fold in the T98G cells and 3.84-fold in the U118 cells. In a conclusion, the Zn(II) complex exhibited an anticancer potential against both brain tumor cell lines (T98G and U118) and EP greatly increased the cytotoxicity of Zn(II) complex and 5-FU on these chemotherapy-resistant cells.

A Review on the Advancements in the Field of Metal Complexes with Schiff Bases as Antiproliferative Agents

Metal complexes play an essential role in pharmaceutical sciences for their multiple and important activities. Schiff bases are versatile pharmacophores able to form chelating complexes with several metals in different oxidation states. Complexes with Schiff bases are widely described in the literature for their multiple actions and numerous advantages, such as low cost and easy synthesis. They show multiple biological activities, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, antimalarial, antinflammatory and antitumor. Schiff bases may also form complexes with lanthanides and actinides acting as catalysts (e.g., in various synthetic processes) and antitumor agents. This review intends to extend on our previous paper regarding Schiff bases as antitumorals, highlighting the importance, in the field of the anticancer agents, of these tools as ligands of metal complexes.

In Vitro Evaluation of the Potential Pharmacological Activity and Molecular Targets of New Benzimidazole-Based Schiff Base Metal Complexes

Metal-based drugs, including lanthanide complexes, have been extremely effective in clinical treatments against various diseases and have raised major interest in recent decades. Hence, in this work, a series of lanthanum (III) and cerium (III) complexes, including Schiff base ligands derived from (1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)aniline, salicylaldehyde, and 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde were synthesized and characterized using different spectroscopic methods. Besides their cytotoxic activities, they were examined in human U-937 cells, primate kidney non-cancerous COS-7, and six other, different human tumor cell lines: U251, PC-3, K562, HCT-15, MCF-7, and SK-LU-1. In addition, the synthesized compounds were screened for in vitro antiparasitic activity against Leishmania braziliensis, Plasmodium falciparum, and Trypanosoma cruzi. Additionally, antibacterial activities were examined against two Gram-positive strains (S. aureus ATCC® 25923, L. monocytogenes ATCC® 19115) and two Gram-negative strains (E. coli ATCC® 25922, P. aeruginosa ATCC® 27583) using the microdilution method. The lanthanide complexes generally exhibited increased biological activity compared with the free Schiff base ligands. Interactions between the tested compounds and model membranes were examined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and interactions with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) were investigated by ultraviolet (UV) absorption. Molecular docking studies were performed using leishmanin (1LML), cruzain (4PI3), P. falciparum alpha-tubulin (GenBank sequence CAA34101 [453 aa]), and S.aureus penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2A; 5M18) as the protein receptors. The results lead to the conclusion that the synthesized compounds exhibited a notable effect on model membranes imitating mammalian and bacterial membranes and rolled along DNA strands through groove interactions. Interactions between the compounds and studied receptors depended primarily on ligand structures in the molecular docking study.

Fungal-Metal Interactions: A Review of Toxicity and Homeostasis

Metal nanoparticles used as antifungals have increased the occurrence of fungal-metal interactions. However, there is a lack of knowledge about how these interactions cause genomic and physiological changes, which can produce fungal superbugs. Despite interest in these interactions, there is limited understanding of resistance mechanisms in most fungi studied until now. We highlight the current knowledge of fungal homeostasis of zinc, copper, iron, manganese, and silver to comprehensively examine associated mechanisms of resistance. Such mechanisms have been widely studied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but limited reports exist in filamentous fungi, though they are frequently the subject of nanoparticle biosynthesis and targets of antifungal metals. In most cases, microarray analyses uncovered resistance mechanisms as a response to metal exposure. In yeast, metal resistance is mainly due to the down-regulation of metal ion importers, utilization of metallothionein and metallothionein-like structures, and ion sequestration to the vacuole. In contrast, metal resistance in filamentous fungi heavily relies upon cellular ion export. However, there are instances of resistance that utilized vacuole sequestration, ion metallothionein, and chelator binding, deleting a metal ion importer, and ion storage in hyphal cell walls. In general, resistance to zinc, copper, iron, and manganese is extensively reported in yeast and partially known in filamentous fungi; and silver resistance lacks comprehensive understanding in both.