Exploring the Anticancer Potential of Schiff Base Complexes: A Mini-Review

Atif Ahmad¹, Anam¹, Marcos V Palmeira-Mello²

¹Departamento de Química Analítica, Físico-Química e Inorgânica, Instituto de Química, UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, Brazil.

|September 9, 2026

Abstract:

Schiff bases are well known for their ability to form stable coordination compounds with several transition metals, making them valuable for medicinal chemistry purposes. These metal-based compounds have attracted significant attention due to their enhanced biological activities, particularly their ability to act toward anticancer chemotherapy. This mini-review provides a comprehensive overview of Schiff base complexes reported over the last 5 years, highlighting the recent advances related to their biological investigations. Cytotoxicity and interactions with biological targets have been detailed. The mechanisms underlying the capacity of these complexes to induce cell death in cancer cells are also described.

Keywords:

DNA binding modes Schiff base metal complexes cytotoxicity on tumor cell lines inducing cell death mechanisms

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