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Updated: Sep 24, 2025

Anticancer Metal Complexes: Synthesis and Cytotoxicity Evaluation by the MTT Assay
Published on: November 10, 2013
Oxidative stress imposed in vivo anticancer therapeutic efficacy of novel imidazole-based oxidovanadium (IV) complex
Noyel Ghosh1, Sharmistha Chatterjee1, Debanjana Biswal2
1Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12, CIT Scheme VII M, Kolkata 700054, India.
Abstract:
Vanadium is a transitional metal having several therapeutic aspects that can be exploited for its anticancer activity. Herein, we have verified anticancer effectivity of synthesized novel water soluble mononuclear dipicolinic acid-1-allyl imidazole-based oxidovanadium (IV) complex [VOL(1-allylimz)2] with respect to anticancer effectivity of known standard platinum-based anticancer agent cisplatin. In current work, we have verified VOL(1-allylimz)2 as highly potential anticancer agent selectively against human breast cancer cells. VOL(1-allylimz)2 has been noticed to elicit dose dependent cytotoxicity in MCF-7 cell line through induction of intracellular oxidative stress and mitochondrial membrane potential. Apart from in vitro validation, in vivo studies in male Swiss Albino mice also have seen to portray dose-dependent anticancer effect of [VOL(1-allylimz)2], where indications of oxidative stress induction became prominent too. Besides, both mitochondrial as well as extra-mitochondrial apoptosis in tumor cells have been shown to be induced by [VOL(1-allylimz)2] treatment, together enforcing its anticancer potency. In contrast to cisplatin, which shows high chances of nephrotoxicity in cancer patients, [VOL(1-allylimz)2] has been found to be comparatively safe for in vivo studies.
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