Heteroleptic N,N-donor pyrazole based Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes: DNA binding, molecular docking and cytotoxicity studies

Abstract

A series of quinolin-2-yl-morpholine based pyrazole derivative (L1-L4) and their complexes with Pt(II) and Pd(II) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, conductance measurement, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The compounds were screened for some biological activities. UV–visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, viscosity measurement and molecular docking studies were used to determine the binding affinity between complexes and HS-DNA. The studies indicate intercalation mode of binding between complexes and DNA, which is complemented by molecular docked structure. The broth dilution method was used to investigate antibacterial activity of complexes against two Gram(+ve) and three Gram(−ve) bacteria, the results demonstrate that all complexes are effective against tested microorganisms. The cytotoxic properties of complexes against A549 cell lines using MTT assay indicate their potent cytotoxic nature. Also, the complexes show effective cytotoxicity at the cellular level against S. pombe cell. The DNA cleavage activity of metal complexes was performed using agarose gel electrophoresis. The toxicity of the compounds was tested against brine shrimp.