Preparation, spectral, antimicrobial properties and anticancer molecular docking studies of new metal complexes [M(caffeine)4] (PF6)2; M = Fe(II), Co(II), Mn(II), Cd(II), Zn(II), Cu(II), Ni(II)

Copper(II) complexes of 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde Schiff bases: synthesis, in vitro activity and computational studies

BACKGROUND

Due to the divers biological applications of Cu(II) complexes, we in this study reports the various Cu(II) complexes. The study aims to synthesize and assess new Cu(II) complexes as powerful β-glucuronidase inhibitors.

METHODS

Five Schiff base ligands and their complexes were synthesized, characterized, and screened against β-glucuronidase inhibitory activity.

RESULTS

In the series, compounds 3e, 3c, 2b, and 2c ascribed powerful inhibition ranging from (IC50  = 3.0 ± 0.7 µM) to (IC50  = 19.2 ± 0.8 µM). A precise and particular arrangement of atoms is suggested by the triclinic p-1 space group and the existence of a single molecule in an asymmetric unit, which are indispensable for the reactivity as well as the stability of the compounds. The analysis of the Hirshfeld surface provides information about the hydrogen intermolecular and π-π interactions. Based on molecular docking, binding potency increasing by complexation 3a-e compared to ligands 2a-e as well as reference Saccharic acid and uronic isofagomine inhibitor, suggesting that it may be a potent inhibitor of these receptors.

CONCLUSION

The work recognizes latent active compounds for novel β-glucoronidase inhibitors, by further support these may be harnessed for the development of potent drugs.

Therapeutic potential of Aloe vera-coated curcumin encapsulated nanoparticles in an Alzheimer-induced mice model: behavioural, biochemical and histopathological evidence

OBJECTIVE

The main purpose of the present study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of Aloe vera-coated curcumin encapsulated nanoparticles in mitigating Alzheimer's disease progression in mice, by examining behavioural changes, biochemical markers, and histopathological alterations, thus elucidating its potential as a treatment strategy.

METHODS

The green synthesis method was used to synthesise this nanoformulation, which was then characterised using a variety of techniques, including percentage encapsulation efficacy, UV-visible spectroscopy, DLS, FT-IR, FESEM, and EDX. Several in-vivo assessments, including behavioural evaluations, dose optimisation studies, oxidative stress marker estimation, and histological studies, were conducted to determine the potential therapeutic impact of nanoformulation on the Alzheimer-induced mice model.

RESULTS

The synthesised nanoparticles show a mean diameter of 76.12 nm ±1.23, a PDI of 0.313 ± 0.02, a zeta potential of 6.27 ± 0.65 mV, and the percentage encapsulation efficiency between 90% and 95% indicating good stability of synthesised nanoformulation. With the help of Morris water maze, Y-maze, and novel object recognition assay, the learning capacity and memory were assessed, and the results show that the synthesised nanoformulation significantly decreased the transfer latency to reach baited arm or to the hidden platform within 7 days.

CONCLUSION

The formulation demonstrated significant biochemical benefits and remarkable cognitive advantages, establishing it as a prospective therapeutic intervention option that is both safe and effective.

Synthesis and characterization of nano crystallite carboxamide-based iron(III) complexes: SOD mimetic activity, antibacterial and anticancer activity and molecular docking study

Three carboxamide-based ligands and their iron(III) complexes were prepared and structurally characterized. Analytical, thermal and mass spectra measurements showed a 1:1 stoichiometric (M:L) of the synthesized iron(III) complexes. The distorted octahedral geometry of the present iron(III) complexes was assigned based on the results of spectroscopy and magnetometry. Processing of X-ray diffraction data for powder samples by the software Expo 2014 confirmed the octahedral geometry of the three iron(III) complexes. Electrochemical properties of the present iron(III) complexes were studied by cyclic voltammetric measurements. The present iron(III) complexes exhibit SOD like activity with IC50 values of 16.45, 15.24 and 9.70 μM. The drive forces (-λ or ΔG°) controlling these biocatalytic reactions were determined and correlated with catalytic activity. The proposed catalytic mechanistic implications for the conversion of O2•- to H2O2 and H2O were discussed. The antimicrobial activity has been studied in vitro against G(+) and G(-) pathogenic bacteria. The in vitro anticancer activity of the carboxamide-based ligands and their iron(III) complexes against human Hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2) cell lines was examined. The obtained results demonstrated the potent anticancer activity of iron(III) complexes with increased safety on normal cells compared to cisplatin. Molecular docking calculations confirmed the experimental findings of the antibacterial and anticancer activities of both free ligands and their iron(III) chelates.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Computational Studies of Novel Co(II) and Zn(II) Fluoroquinoline Complexes for Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities

Research into heterocyclic ligands has increased in popularity due to their versatile applications in the biomedical field. Quinoline derivatives with their transition metal complexes are popular scaffolding molecules in the ongoing pursuit of newer and more effective bioactive molecules. Subsequently, this work reports on the synthesis and possible biological application of new Zn(II) and Co(II) complexes with a bidentate quinoline derivative ligand (H2 L), [(H2 L):(E)-2-(((6-fluoro-2-((2-hydroxyethyl)amino)quinolin-3-yl)methylene)amino)ethanol]. The ligand and its metal complexes were structurally characterized by spectroscopic methods (1H NMR, 13C NMR, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), UV-vis, fluorescence, and mass spectroscopy), as well as by thermogravimetric and elemental analysis methods. The spectroscopic findings were further supported by density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent (TD)-DFT calculations. The biological application was examined by investigating the inhibitory action of the complexes against bacterial strains using diffusion and agar dilution methods, and their profiles against two Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains were supported by molecular docking analysis. To rationalize the in vitro activity and establish the possible mechanism of action, the interactions and binding affinity of the ligand and complexes were investigated against three different bacterial enzymes (Escherichia coli DNA gyrase (PDB ID 6f86), E. coli dihydrofolate reductase B (PDB ID: 7r6g), and Staphylococcus aureus tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (PDB ID: 1JIJ)) using AutoDock with the standard protocol. The MIC value of 0.20 μg/mL for zinc complex against E. coli and associated binding affinities -7.2 and -9.9 kcal/mol with DNA gyrase (PDB ID 6f86) and dihydrofolate reductase B (PDB ID: 7r6g), as well as the MIC value of 2.4 μg/mL for cobalt(II) complex against Staphylococcus aureus and the associated binding affinity of -10.5 kcal/mol with tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (PDB ID: 1JIJ), revealed that the complexes' inhibitory actions were strong and comparable with those of the standard drug in the experiments. In addition, the ability of the new quinoline-based complexes to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl radicals was investigated; the findings suggested that the complexes exhibit potent antioxidant activities, which may be of therapeutic significance.

Structural optimization of pyrrolopyrimidine BTK inhibitors based on molecular simulation

CONTEXT

BTK is a critical regulator involved in the proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of B cells. BTK inhibitors can effectively alleviate various diseases such as tumors, leukemia, and asthma. During this study, a range of novel BTK inhibitors were designed using 3D-QSAR, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation.

METHODS

We selected 41 pyrrolopyrimidine derivatives as BTK inhibitors to structure a 3D-QSAR model. Comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity index analysis (CoMSIA) were adopted to research the connection between the pharmacological activities and chemical structures of the compounds. The CoMFA model (q2 = 0.519, R2 = 0.971), CoMSIA model (q2 = 0.512, R2 = 0.990), and external validation demonstrated excellent predictive performance and reliability of the 3D-QSAR model. We designed eight novel molecules with higher inhibitory activities according to the three-dimensional equipotential fields and explored the interactions between the compounds and BTK by molecular docking, which showed that the novel molecules had higher binding affinities with BTK than the template molecule 18. Then, the results of molecular docking were further verified by MD simulation, which showed that amino acid residues such as Leu528, Val416, and Met477 played vital parts in the interaction, and the binding free energy analysis showed that the novel molecules had higher stability with BTK. Finally, the ADME/T properties were predicted for all of the novel compounds, and the results showed that the majority of them had favorable pharmacokinetic properties. Therefore, this study provides strong support for the development of novel BTK inhibitors.

Metal complexes of xanthine and its derivatives: Synthesis and biological activity

Xanthine and its derivatives are considered an important class of N-heterocyclic purine compounds that have gained significant importance in medicinal chemistry. N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and N-coordinated metal complexes of xanthine and its derivatives have revealed a range of new possibilities for their use as therapeutic agents in addition to their established catalytic behavior. The metal complexes of xanthine and its derivatives have been designed and synthesized for the exploration of their potential therapeutic applications. These metal complexes based on the xanthine scaffold exhibited various potential medicinal applications including anticancer, antibacterial, and antileishmanial activity. The metal complexes of xanthine and its derivatives shall pave the way for the rational design and development of new therapeutic agents. In the present comprehensive review, we highlighted the recent advancements in the synthesis and medicinal applications of metal complexes based on N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) derived from xanthine scaffolds.

Synthesis, characterization, and biological activities of zinc(II), copper(II) and nickel(II) complexes of an aminoquinoline derivative

Interest is increasingly focused on the use of transition metal complexes as biochemical, medical, analytical, pharmaceutical, agronomic, anticancer, and antibacterial agents. In this study, three complexes of [Zn(H2L)Cl] (1), [Cu(H2L)(H2O)(NO3)] (2) and [Ni(H2L)(NO3)].2H2O (3) were synthesized from a 2-chloroquinoline-3-carbaldehyde derived ligand [H3L = ((E)-2-(((2-((2-hydroxyethyl)amino)quinolin-3-yl)methylene)amino)ethanol. The compounds were characterized using physicochemical and spectroscopic methods. The results demonstrate that the free ligand behaves as a tridentate ligand with one oxygen and two nitrogen (ONN) donor atoms in 1:1 metal:ligand ratio. The formation constants of the complexes were found to be (KZn(II) = 2.3 × 106, KCu(II) = 2.9 × 106, and KNi(II) = 3.8 × 105). The thermodynamic parameters indicated that the reactions were spontaneous with exothermic nature of metal-ligand interaction energies. Based on the analyses of the experimental (EDX, FTIR, PXRD, MS and TGA) and DFT results, a distorted tetrahedral, a distorted square pyramidal and square planar geometry for Zn(II), Cu(II) and Ni(II) complexes, respectively, were proposed. The B3LYP calculated IR frequencies and TD-B3LYP calculated absorption spectra were found to be in good agreement with the corresponding experimental results. The powder XRD data confirmed that the Zn(II), Cu(II) and Ni(II) complexes have polycrystalline nature with average crystallite sizes of 27.86, 33.54, 37.40 Å, respectively. In vitro antibacterial activity analyses of the complexes were studied with disk diffusion method, in which the complexes showed better activity than the precursor ligand. Particularly the Cu(II) complex showed higher percent activity index (62, 90%), than both Zn(II) (54, 82%) and Ni(II) (41, 68%) complexes against both E. coli and P. aeruginosa, respectively. Using the DPPH assay, the complexes were further assessed for their antioxidant capacities. All metal complexes showed improved antioxidant activity than the free ligand. Zn(II) and Cu(II) complexes, which had IC50 values of 10.46 and 8.62 μg/ml, respectively, showed the best antioxidant activity. The calculated results of Lipinski’s rule of five also showed that the target complexes have drug-like molecular nature and similarly, the results of binding mode of action of these compounds against E. coli DNA gyrase B and P. aeruginosa LasR.DNA were found to be in good agreement with the in vitro biological activities.

Three-dimensional quantitative structural-activity relationship and molecular dynamics study of multivariate substituted 4-oxyquinazoline HDAC6 inhibitors

3D-QSAR models were established by collecting 46 multivariate-substituted 4-oxyquinazoline HDAC6 inhibitors. The relationship of molecular structure and inhibitory activity was studied by comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity index analysis (CoMSIA). The results showed the models established by CoMFA (q² = 0.590, r² = 0.965) and CoMSIA (q² = 0.594, r² = 0.931) had good prediction ability. At the same time, 3D-QSAR models met the internal verification, external verification and AD test. Ten new compounds were designed based on CoMFA and CoMSIA contour maps and their pharmacokinetic/toxic properties (ADME/T) were evaluated. It was found that most compounds have well safety profile and pharmacokinetic property. Then, we explored the interaction between HDAC6 and compounds by molecular docking. The results showed that the binding mode of the new compounds with HDAC6 was the same as the template compound 46, and the hydrogen bond and hydrophobic bond played a vital role in the binding process. Molecular dynamics simulation results showed that residues Ser531, His574 and Tyr745 played key roles in the binding process. All newly designed compounds had lower energy gap and binding energy than compound 46 according to DFT analysis and free energy analysis. This study provided a theoretical reference for designing compounds of higher activity and a new idea for the development of novel HDAC6 inhibitors.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Biological Activities of Novel Vanadium(IV) and Cobalt(II) Complexes

Herein, we report novel Co(II) and V(IV) complexes synthesized from an (E)-2-(((2-((2-hydroxyethyl)amino)quinolin-3-yl)methylene)amino)ethan-1-ol ligand (L), cobalt(II) chloride hexahydrate, and vanadyl(IV) sulfate in methanolic solutions. The ligand and the complexes were characterized by ¹H NMR spectroscopy,¹³C NMR spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), mass spectroscopy (MS), thermal analysis, and molar conductance. The FT-IR spectral data showed that the ligand adopted a tridentate fashion when binding with the metal ions via the nitrogen atoms of the imine (C=N) and amine (N-H), and the oxygen atom of the hydroxyl group (O-H). The PXRD and SEM results indicated that the complexes are amorphous in nature. The density functional theory (DFT) calculated absorption and IR spectra agree very well with the corresponding experimental results. The antibacterial activities of the free ligand and its complexes were evaluated using a paper disk diffusion method. The complexes have better percent activitiy index than the free ligand. The cobalt complex exhibited a more recognizable antibacterial activity than the vanadium complex, specifically against Pseudomonas aeruginosa with a mean inhibition zone of 18.62 ± 0.19 mm, when compared with the positive control, ciprofloxacin, with a mean inhibition zone of 22.98 ± 0.08 mm at the same concentration. Furthermore, the antioxidant activities of the free ligand and its metal complexes were also determined in vitro using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl. The ligand exhibited less in vitro antioxidant activity than its transition metal complexes, in which the cobalt complex has a better antioxidant activity with half-inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀ of 16.01 μg/mL) than the ligand and the vanadium complex. Quantum molecular descriptors from the DFT calculations further support the experimental results. Molecular docking analysis also shed more light on the biological activities of the novel cobalt and vanadium complexes.

Coordination compounds of biogenic metals as cytotoxic agents in cancer therapy

The review summarizes the data on the structures and methods for the synthesis of compounds with anticancer activity based on biogenic metals, which can replace platinum drugs prevailing in cytotoxic therapy. The main focus is given to the comparison of the mechanisms of the cytotoxic action of these complexes, their efficacy and prospects of their use in clinical practice. This is the first systematic review of cytotoxic zinc, iron, cobalt and copper compounds. The structure – activity relationships and the mechanisms of antitumour action are formulated for each type of metal complexes.

The bibliography includes 181 references.

Investigating Structural Property Relationships to Enable Repurposing of Pharmaceuticals as Zinc Ionophores

The importance of zinc in biology has gained greater recognition in recent years due to its essential contributions to the function of many endogenous enzymes. Disruption of zinc homeostasis may be useful in treating pathological conditions, such as Alzheimer's, and for antiviral purposes. Despite the growth of knowledge and increased interest in zinc, little is known about the structure and function of zinc ionophores. In this study we analyse the Cambridge Structural Database and solution complexation studies found in the literature to identify key functional groups which may confer zinc ionophorism. Pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and amino acids with these functionalities were selected to enable us to explore the translatability of ionophoric activity from in vitro assays to cellular systems. We find that although certain species may complex to zinc in the solid and solution states, and may carry ions across simple membrane systems, this does not necessarily translate into ionophoric activity. We propose that the CSD can help refine key functionalities but that ionophoric activity must be confirmed in cellular systems.

Antitumor Activities for Two Pt(II) Complexes of Tropolone and 8-Hydroxyquinoline Derivative

The reactions of cis-Pt(DMSO)2Cl2 and tropolone (HL) with 8-hydroxyquinoline (HQ) or 2-methyl-8-hydroxyquinoline (HMQ) gave [Pt(Q)(L)] (1) and [Pt(MQ)(L)] (2), which present mononuclear structures with their Pt(II) ions four-coordinated in square planar geometries. Their in vitro biological properties were evaluated by MTT assay, which showed a remarkable cytotoxic activity on the cancer cell lines. 1 shows higher cytotoxic activities on tumor cells such as T24, HeLa, A549, and NCI-H460 than complex 2 and cisplatin, with IC50 values <16 μM. Among them, an IC50 value of 3.6 ± 0.63 μM was found for complex 1 against T24 cells. It presented a tuning cytotoxic activity by substitution groups on 8-hydroxyquinoline skeleton. In our case, the substitution groups of -H are much superior to -CH3 against tumor cells. It revealed that both complexes can induce cell apoptosis by decreasing the potential of a mitochondrial membrane, enhancing reactive oxygen species and increasing Ca2+ levels of T24 cells. The T24 cell cycle can be arrested at G2 and G1 phases by complexes 1 and 2, respectively, with an upregulation for P21 and P27 expression levels and a down-regulation for cyclin A, CDK1, Cdc25A, and cyclin B expression levels. Furthermore, complex 1 exhibits satisfactory in vivo antitumor activity as revealed by the tumor inhibitory rate and the tumor weight change as well as by the cute toxicity assay and renal pathological examinations, which is close to cisplatin and much better than complex 2. All of these suggest that 1 might be a potential candidate for developing into a safe and effective anticancer agent.

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.

Role of Fe(III) in aqueous solution or deposited on ZnO surface in the photoassisted degradation of rhodamine B and caffeine

Iron (III) was incorporated, to the surface of a synthesized ZnO, using two nominal molar percentages of Fe (III): 1% and 5% Fe relative to ZnO. Samples dried and calcined at 200 °C and 400 °C for 2 h, were characterized by XRD, XPS, XRF, N₂-adsorption-BET and (UV-vis)-DRS. Photocatalytic activities of the catalysts were assessed based on the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and caffeine (CAF) in aqueous solution under two irradiation conditions: UV and visible light illumination. Prior to the photocatalytic tests, the interaction of each one of the substrates with either Fe(III) or Fe(II) was studied in homogeneous medium under UV-illumination and oxygenated environment. It was found that Fe (III) can play an important role in homogeneous media in the photoassisted degradation, both of rhodamine B and caffeine, while Fe (II) does not exert a relevant role in the photoassisted degradation of the referred substrates. Fe-ZnO samples display similar or poorer performance than pure ZnO in the presence of UV light for both studied substrates. The phenomenon can be attributed to the formation of either goethite or ZnFe₂O₄ at the ZnO surface where the coupled Fe^3+/Fe²⁺ can act as recombination centers for the photogenerated charges. On the contrary, all Fe-ZnO samples showed enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible illumination which seems to be independent of the iron content. In this context, the mechanisms for photoassisted degradation of both the substrates in homogeneous medium and photocatalytic degradation are discussed, as well as the role of Fe in the photodegradation processes.