Synthesis, Characterisation, and Preliminary In Vitro Studies of Vanadium(IV) Complexes with a Schiff Base and Thiosemicarbazones as Mixed Ligands

[VO(sal‐‐tryp)(HO)] (, sal‐‐tryp = ‐salicylidene‐‐tryptophanate) was used as a precursor to produce the new complexes [VO(sal‐‐tryp)(MeATSC)]1.5CHOH [, MeATSC = 9‐Anthraldehyde‐(4)‐methylthiosemicarbazone], [VO(sal‐‐tryp)(‐ethhymethohcarbthio)]HO [, ‐ethhymethohcarbthio = ()‐‐ethyl‐2‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxybenzylidene)hydrazinecarbothioamide] and [VO(sal‐‐tryp)(acetylethTSC)]CHOH {, acetylethTSC = ()‐‐ethyl‐2‐[1‐(thiazol‐2‐yl)ethylidene]hydrazinecarbothioamide} by reaction with the respective thiosemicarbazone. The chemical and structural properties of these ligands and complexes were characterised by elemental analysis, ESI‐MS, FTIR, UV/Vis, ESR and H and C NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray crystallography. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and [D]DMSO solutions of – were oxidised in air to produce vanadium(V) species, which were verified by ESI‐MS and V NMR spectroscopy. The anticancer properties of – were examined with three colon cancer cell lines, HTC‐116, Caco‐2 and HT‐29, and noncancerous colonic myofibroblasts, CCD18‐Co. Compounds – exhibited less inhibitory effects in the CCD‐18Co cells, which indicates a possible cytotoxic selectivity towards colon cancer cells. In general, compounds that exhibit antiproliferative activity to cancer cells but do not affect noncancerous cells may have a potential in chemotherapy.

Duke Scholars

Author Floyd A Beckford DKU Faculty