Novel tetradentate Schiff base zinc(II) complex as a potential antioxidant and cancer chemotherapeutic agent: Insights from the photophysical and computational approach

Analysis of the binding mechanism for a water-soluble Pd(II) complex containing β-amino alcohols with HSA applying experimental and computational methods

In the study ahead, the binding interactions of the [Pd (HEAC) Cl2] complex with human serum albumin (HSA) protein have been assayed in vitro (pH= 7.40) utilizing computational and experimental procedures. The mentioned complex was synthesized as a water-soluble complex from {2-((2-((2-hydroxyethyl)amino)ethyl)amino) cyclohexanol} ligand = HEAC. The results of electronic absorption and circular dichroism investigations illustrated that the hydrophobicity of the Tryptophan microenvironment in HSA undergoes the changes by binding to the Pd(II) complex without substantial perturbations on the protein secondary structure. The fluorescence emission spectroscopy analysis revealed that with rising temperature, the quenching constant (Ksv) in the Stern-Volmer's relation decreases; so, it can be said that the interaction process is along with a static quenching mechanism. The values of 2.88 × 105 M-1, and 1.26 represent the binding constant (Kb) and the number of the binding sites (n), respectively. The Job graph showed the maximum point at χ = 0.5, which means organizing a new set with 1:1 stoichiometry. Thermodynamic profile (ΔH < 0, ΔS < 0, and ΔG < 0) has affirmed that van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds have a basic function in the Pd(II) complex-albumin bindings. The ligand-competitive displacement studies utilizing warfarin and ibuprofen have represented that Pd(II) complex interacts with albumin by site II (subdomain IIIA). The computational molecular docking theory approved the results of the site-competitive tests; also, it indicated the existence of hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces in Pd(II) complex-albumin interactions.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Investigation of the Apoptosis Inducing and β-catenin Silencing by Tetradentate Schiff Base Zinc(II) Complex on the T-47D Breast Cancer Cells

INTRODUCTION

Several mechanisms are known for the anticancer effects of cisplatin. However, its most wellknown function involves binding to DNA and activating the DNA damage response.

METHODS

Despite its good effects, the treatment process often leads to chemoresistance and affects the mechanisms that support cell survival, such as pathways that promote cell growth, apoptosis, DNA damage repair, and endocytosis. For this reason, we investigated the effects of a new metal complex (tetradentate Schiff base zinc(II) complex) on breast cancer cells (T-47D). We evaluated its effect on cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and drug resistance in comparison to cisplatin.

RESULTS

The results of the MTT test showed that tetradentate Schiff base zinc(II) complex has good cytotoxicity compared to cisplatin. The IC50 values for the [Zn(SB)]Cl2 complex and cisplatin after 72 h of exposure were equal to 42.1 and 276.1 μM, respectively. Real-time PCR assay confirmed that the [Zn(SB)]Cl2 complex activated the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis and increased the expression of Bak1 and caspase-3 genes significantly compared to cisplatin. More importantly, the [Zn(SB)]Cl2 was able to reduce the expression of the β-catenin gene, which plays a role in drug resistance, by 0.011 compared to the control.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, we can hope for this new complex because, without the help of any β-catenin silencing agent, it was able to inhibit the drug resistance in the T-47D cell line that overexpresses the β-catenin gene.

Synthesis, characterization, anticancer, and antioxidant activities of chitosan Schiff bases bearing quinolinone or pyranoquinolinone and their silver nanoparticles derivatives

In this work, new chitosan-based Schiff bases were synthesized by the reaction of chitosan with quinolinone and pyranoquinolinone giving CSQ, and CSP, respectively. The novel Chitosan Schiff bases were grafted on silver nanoparticles providing CSQ/Ag, CSP/Ag structures. Characterization of isolated compounds was carried out by FT-IR, TGA, XRD, SEM, and TEM. The target compounds CSQ, CSP, CSQ/Ag, and CSP/Ag were evaluated as antitumor agents against three cancer cell lines, liver (HepG-2), colon (HCT-116), and breast (MCF-7). Compound CSQ/Ag disclosed potent cytotoxic effect with IC50 values in the range of 41.9–55.1 μg/ml in comparison with 5-fluorouracil against different cancer cell lines. Besides, the antioxidant activity of chitosan and its quinolinone and pyranoquinolinone analogues was assessed as radical scavengers versus 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals (DPPH%). The compound CSQ/Ag emerged as the most active member in scavenging the DPPH radicals. The obtained findings proved that the new Schiff bases/silver nanoparticles of chitosan showed higher antiproliferative and antioxidant activities than the blank CS and would be highly applicable in biomedical fields.

Graphical abstract

Synthesis, characterization and crystal structure of 4-methoxybenzylidene-based zinc(II) complexes

Two novel zinc(II) complexes containing 4-methoxybenzylidene moieties namely, Zn(L)Cl2 (L = N, N′-bis(4-methoxybenzylidene)ethane-1, 2-diamine (1) or N-(4-methoxybenzylidene)-ethane-1, 2-diamine (2)) have been synthesized and characterized by infrared spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c with a = 9.2315(4); b = 12.0449(4); c = 18.2164(7) Å; β = 98.472(4)°, V = 1278.9(4) Å3 and Z = 4. Complex 2 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n with a = 6.5733 (2), b = 13.6595(5), c = 15.1615(5) Å; β = 101.846(4)°, V = 1332.33(8) Å3 and Z = 4. The environment of each Zn(II) atom is distorted tetrahedral with coordination of two terminal Cl atoms and two N atoms of the N,N′ – bis(4-methoxybenzylidene)ethane-1,2-diamine (1) or N-(4-methoxybenzylidene)ethane-1,2-diamine (2) ligand. The stability of the crystalline structure is ensured by the existence of intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds of the type C–H…Cl (1) and N–H…Cl (2) leading to supramolecular topologies.

Evaluation of Induced Apoptosis by Biosynthesized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells Using Bak1 and Bclx Expression

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have peaked interests in many researches in these recent years due to their advantageous application in modern health care applications. Therefore, we successfully synthesized ZnO NPs by Acacia luciana flower extract as stabilizing, reducing and capping agent, to investigate the antiproliferative potential and apoptosis induction in breast cancer cell lines. The involvements of Acacia luciana bioactive compounds in the stabilization of the ZnO NPs were confirmed by FTIR analysis. FESEM and EDS instruments confirmed that biosynthesized nanoparticles have an irregular morphology and mostly composed of Zn, C, and O respectively. The TEM and zeta potential instruments confirmed that biosynthesized nanoparticles have slight negative charges with particle size of 40 nm. The survivorship of MCF-7 cells were examined by MTT assay and revealed that ZnO NPs inhibited cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent effect with IC₅₀ value of 3.1 µg/mL after 72 h exposure. Also, as a novel work onto ZnO NPs obtained by Acacia extracts, the Bak1/Bclx expression ratio was elucidated utilizing RT-PCR technique. The results demonstrated that ZnO NPs could enhance the expression ratio; therefore they have the potential to induce apoptosis in breast cancer cells via mitochondria-mediated apoptotic pathway.

The role of folic acid in inducing of apoptosis by zinc(II) complex in ovary and cervix cancer cells

Herein, the synthesis, structure, binding affinity, cytotoxicity, and apoptotic properties of the new Zn(II) complex composed of folic acid and bipyridine ligands are reported. Because folic acid has the ability to target cancer cells directly, so it can play a role in targeted drug delivery of the complex and be useful to distinguish normal cells from cancerous. After characterization of Zinc complex utilizing FTIR, EA, and NMR, the results of MTT assay were shown that viability levels of two FR-positive cell lines (HeLa and Ovcar-3) are dependent on time and concentration of [Zn(bpy)FA], whereas, did not show a significant effect on FR-negative cell lines (A549). Also, Real-time PCR revealed that the presence of FA can influence the expression of apoptosis in cervical carcinoma HeLa cells while cisplatin alone doesn't have the ability to trigger apoptosis. Furthermore, the experimental results were evaluated using pharmacophore modeling and molecular docking analysis. Finally, the stability of the Zn(II) complex was surveyed using quantum mechanical studies.

Zinc Complexes with Nitrogen Donor Ligands as Anticancer Agents

The search for anticancer metal-based drugs alternative to platinum derivatives could not exclude zinc derivatives due to the importance of this metal for the correct functioning of the human body. Zinc, the second most abundant trace element in the human body, is one of the most important micro-elements essential for human physiology. Its ubiquity in thousands of proteins and enzymes is related to its chemical features, in particular its lack of redox activity and its ability to support different coordination geometries and to promote fast ligands exchange. Analogously to other trace elements, the impairment of its homeostasis can lead to various diseases and in some cases can be also related to cancer development. However, in addition to its physiological role, zinc can have beneficial therapeutic and preventive effects on infectious diseases and, compared to other metal-based drugs, Zn(II) complexes generally exert lower toxicity and offer few side effects. Zinc derivatives have been proposed as antitumor agents and, among the great number of zinc coordination complexes which have been described so far, this review focuses on the design, synthesis and biological studies of zinc complexes comprising N-donor ligands and that have been reported within the last five years.

A mechanistic explanation of two novel Zn(II) dithiocarbamate complexes with β-lactoglobulin

The synthesis, characterization, antioxidant activity and β-LG interaction of two Zn(II) complexes formulated as [(N-N)Zn(µ-pr-dtc)Zn(N-N)](NO₃)₂] (where pr-dtc is propylenbisdithiocarbamate, N-N are 2,2'-bipyridine for complex a, and 1,10 phenanthroline for complex b) were reported. The in vitro antioxidant activity of the Zn complexes was evaluated against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals (DPPH). Both complexes presented moderate antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 231.0 ± 5.7 mg L^-1 for complex a and 250.0 ± 6.1 mg L^-1 for complex b). Fluorescence studies showed that the intrinsic fluorescence of β-LG was statically quenched by the prepared complexes mainly through Van der Waals interaction and hydrogen bond. The fluorescence results showed that the above complexes could bind with β-LG with a relatively strong affinity (complex a: K_b(27 °C) = 0.16 × 10⁴ M^-1, K_b(37 °C) = 0.06 × 10⁴ M^-1, complex b: K_b(27 °C) = 1.94 × 10⁴ M^-1, K_b(37 °C) = 0.11 × 10⁴ M^-1). The secondary structure of β-LG was changed in the presence of these Zn complexes and the decrease in α-helix (0.41% and 0.55% for complex a and complex b, respectively) and β-sheet (1.19% and 1.44% for complex a and complex b, respectively) contents confirmed the protein instability during the interaction. Molecular dynamics simulation was used during the preparation of the protein receptor before docking to find the best fit of the complexes to β-LG. Some details about molecular docking simulations describe Van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonding, and this is in agreement with the thermodynamics data derived from fluorescence spectroscopy experiment.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.