Comparative DNA-/BSA-binding, DNA cleavage, and cytotoxic properties of copper(II) amino/salicyl-phenolate Schiff bases (phen) complexes that induce generation of phenoxyl radicals

Abstract

A series of mixed-ligand Cu(II) complexes of the type [Cu(L1-5)(diimine)(H2O)](ClO4) (1–5) and [Cu(L6)(diimine)](ClO4) (6), where HL1-HL4 are aminophenolate Schiff base ligands viz., 2-(benzylideneamino)phenol (HL1, 1), 2-(4-fluorobenzylideneamino)phenol (HL2, 2), 2-(4-chlorobenzylideneamino)phenol (HL3, 3), and 2-(4-nitrobenzylideneamino)phenol (HL4, 4) whereas HL4 and HL5 are salicyl-phenolate Schiff base ligands viz.,2-((phenylimino)methyl)phenol (HL5, 5) and (E)-2-(((2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)imino)methyl)phenol (HL6, 6) as primary ligands and the diimine 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) as co-ligand have been isolated. TheSchiffbaseligandsand their mixedligandchelates were characterizedby spectral techniques (UV–Visible, IR, mass, 1H, and 13C NMR), elemental analysis, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) techniques. The molecular structure of 6, which alone formed appreciable crystals, was determined by single-crystal X-ray studies, and two crystallographically independent molecules (a and b) existed in square pyramidal distorted trigonal bipyramidal (SPDTBP) geometry. The complexes 1–4 showed a reversible (ΔEp for 3; 64), quasi-reversible (2; 105 and 4; 115), and irreversible (1; 181 mV) oxidation waves discernible at E1/2 ranging from + 0.035 V to −0.120 V (DPV) which are attributed to the formation of copper(II)-phenoxyl radical species. Among them, 2 and 3 showed a well-defined reversible phenoxyl radical formation in CV and DPV. Also, these two complexes exhibited more stable phenoxyl radical in the presence of CAN (cerium ammonium nitrate). The DNA binding studies revealed that the fluoro- and chloro-substituted complexes 2 and 3 exhibited higher DNA binding propensity than the other complexes. All the complexes displayed moderate to high oxidative DNA cleavage property in the presence of H2O2, wherein complexes 2 and 3 exhibited higher DNA cleavage than the others. Interestingly, complex 3 exhibited less AC50 value (18.26 µM) than complex 2 (43.3 µM). The mechanistic study led to the inference that the DNA cleavage is possibly mediated via copper(II)-bound phenoxyl-radical. The cytotoxicity of complexes 1–6 was investigated in A549 non-small cell lung carcinoma cell. The amino-phenolate complexes 2 (IC50 = 3.52 µM) and 3 (IC50 = 3.4 µM) brought about higher cytotoxicity and ≈ 3.8-times more potency than cisplatin. The complex 3 showed to be 47-times less toxic to non-cancerous peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Fluorescent staining assay revealed that the complexes 1–6 induced apoptotic cell death with some degree of necrosis. JC-1 staining assay revealed that complex 3 efficiently depolarized the mitochondrial membrane potential. Put together, the results substantiate that amino-phenolate-containing copper(II) mixed ligand complexes are more cytotoxic than salicyl-phenolate-containing copper(II) complexes.