Mononuclear Pd(II) complex as a new therapeutic agent: Synthesis, characterization, biological activity, spectral and DNA binding approaches

Design and synthesis of novel palladium cyclometallate-based fluorescent probe: Studies on interaction with cell membrane by confocal and fluorescence lifetime imaging

Coordination complexes offer great potential as cellular imaging probes, which allow to examine specific cell organelle structures in their physiological conditions to better understand the biological system. Understanding the heterogeneous nature of the cell membrane could unveil details of their functionality. Here, we have developed a new anthracene conjugated fluorescent palladium(II) cyclometallate [PdL¹Cl] where L¹H = [2-(2- (anthracen-9-ylmethylene)-1-phenylhydrazineyl)pyridine] (H stands for dissociable proton), which not only specifically stains the cell membrane, but could be utilized to visualise the membrane by the confocal and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). This probe is unable to enter inside the cell as it did not pass through the cell membrane via diffusion or various organic and metal transporters. However, the great lipophilicity of fluorescein improves the interaction of the probe with the peptidoglycan layer of the cell membrane. Probable dissociation of chloride ion and formation of positively charged palladium complex resulted in staining the negatively charged cell membrane. The 3D confocal imaging clearly expressed sole membrane staining by the probe. The probe efficiently stains both cancer cells (HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines) and normal cell (HEK 293 T), confirming the universality of the probe in membrane staining.

In vitro cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity of [Pd(AMTTO)(PPh3)2]: a novel promising palladium(ii) complex

The synthesis and characterization of a novel palladium complex based on a bioactive 3-mercapto-1,2,4-triazine derivative have been investigated. The Pd(ii) complex showed excellent anticancer and antibacterial activity.

In vitro evaluation of curcumin-loaded chitosan-coated hydroxyapatite nanocarriers as a potential system for effective treatment of cancer

Nanotechnology has many potential applications in cancer treatment. For example, nano-drug delivery systems (NDDS) with high bioavailability, biodegradability, and biocompatibility have been developed, in order to increase the therapeutic effects of anticancer drugs. Among these NDDS, high-performance hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles are rapidly advancing in the targeted cancer treatment due to their numerous benefits. Curcumin is an herbal metabolite that acts as a chemical inhibitor through the inhibition of tumor cells and the progression of many cancers. However, the poor bioavailability of curcumin is the most important challenge in using this substance. In this study, HA nanoparticles coated by chitosan were used as a pH-sensitive biopolymer to improve the efficiency and bioavailability of curcumin. For this purpose, HA nanoparticles were first synthesized by the sol-gel method. Then, a layer of chitosan was coated on it, and the curcumin drug was encapsulated in the nanocarrier, under controlled conditions. Techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the nanocarriers. In the second part, nano-drugs prepared by various bioassays were examined. For this purpose, the rate of cytotoxicity by the methyl-thiazol-tetrazolium (MTT) assay and the rate of apoptosis induction by the acridine orange and ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining method on the brain carcinoma U87MG cell line were investigated.