Evaluation of DNA-binding, DNA cleavage, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of mononuclear ruthenium(II) carbonyl complexes of benzaldehyde 4-phenyl-3-thiosemicarbazones

Two 4-phenyl-3-thiosemicarbazone ligands, (E)-2-(2-chlorobenzylidene)-N-phenylhydrazinecarbothioamide (HL1) and (E)-2-(2-nitrobenzylidene)-N-phenylhydrazinecarbothioamide (HL2), and its ruthenium(II) complexes were synthesized and characterized by physico-chemical and spectroscopic methods. The Schiff bases act as bidentate, monobasic chelating ligands with S and N as the donor sites and are preferably found in the thiol form in all the complexes studied. The molecular structure of HL1 and HL2 were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction method. DNA binding of the compounds was investigated by absorption spectroscopy which indicated that the compounds bind to DNA via intercalation. The oxidative cleavage of the complexes with CT-DNA inferred that the effects of cleavage are dose dependent. Antioxidant study of the ligands and complexes showed significant antioxidant activity against DPPH radical. In addition, the in vitro cytotoxicity of the ligands and complexes assayed against HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines showed higher cytotoxic activity with the lower IC50 values indicating their efficiency in killing the cancer cells even at low concentrations. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.