New mixed ligand oxidovanadium(IV) complexes: Solution behavior, protein interaction and cytotoxicity

Area of Science:

• Inorganic Chemistry
• Coordination Chemistry
• Medicinal Chemistry

Background:

• Vanadium complexes are explored for their therapeutic potential.
• Designing novel metal complexes with tailored properties is crucial for drug discovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel mononuclear mixed ligand oxidovanadium(IV) complexes.
• To investigate the interaction of these complexes with proteins.
• To evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicity of the synthesized complexes against cancer cell lines.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of five new oxidovanadium(IV) complexes using aroylhydrazones and bipyridine/phenanthroline ligands.
• Characterization using elemental analysis, TGA, IR, UV-vis, EPR, ESI-MS, CV, and X-ray crystallography.
• Density functional theory (DFT) optimization of complex structures.
• Protein binding studies with lysozyme (Lyz) and human serum albumin (HSA).
• In vitro cytotoxicity assays (MTT) against HeLa, HT-29, and NIH-3T3 cell lines.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis and full characterization of five novel oxidovanadium(IV) complexes.
• Structural elucidation confirmed by X-ray crystallography and DFT calculations.
• Demonstrated equilibrium involving water ligand exchange, allowing for biomolecule interaction.
• Identified both non-covalent and covalent binding modes with Lyz and HSA.
• Exhibited significant in vitro cytotoxicity against human cervical cancer (HeLa) and colon cancer (HT-29) cell lines.
• Complex 5 displayed superior cytotoxicity compared to cisplatin and cyclophosphamide.

Conclusions:

• The synthesized oxidovanadium(IV) complexes are structurally well-defined and exhibit interesting coordination chemistry.
• These complexes can interact with proteins through different binding mechanisms.
• The potent in vitro anticancer activity suggests their potential as novel chemotherapeutic agents.