Thiosemicarbazones and Derived Antimony Complexes: Synthesis, Structural Analysis, and In Vitro Evaluation against Bacterial, Fungal, and Cancer Cells

Two antimony complexes {[Sb(L-1)Cl-2] C1 and [Sb(L-2)Cl-2] C2} with the thiosemicarbazone ligands {HL1 = 4-(2,4-dimethylphenyl)-1-((pyridin-2-yl)methylene)thiosemicarbazide and HL2 = 4-(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-((pyridin-2-yl)methylene)thiosemicarbazide} were introduced. The structures were elucidated on the basis of a CHNS analysis, spectroscopic techniques (UV-Vis and FT-IR), and DMF solution electrical conductivities. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of complex C1 assigned the complex pseudo-octahedral geometry and triclinic P-1 space group. Only the ligand HL1 and its derived complex C1 displayed antifungal activities against Candida albicans and this activity was enhanced from 10 mm to 21 mm for the respective complex, which is the same activity given by the drug Amphotericin B. The ligands HL1 and HL2 gave inhibitions, respectively, of 14 and 10 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and 15 and 10 mm against Escherichia coli; however, complexes C1 and C2 increased these inhibitions to 36 and 32 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and 35 and 31 mm against Escherichia coli exceeding the activities given by the ampicillin standard (i.e., 21 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and 25 mm against Escherichia coli). Against MCF-7 human breast cancer cells, the IC50 values of HL1 (68.9 mu M) and HL2 (145.4 mu M) were notably enhanced to the values of 34.7 and 37.4 mu M for both complexes, respectively. Further, the complexes induced less toxicity in normal BHK cells (HL1 (126.6 mu M), HL2 (110.6 mu M), C1 (>210.1 mu M), and C2 (160.6 mu M)). As a comparison, doxorubicin gave an IC50 value of 9.66 mu M against MCF-7 cells and 36.42 mu M against BHK cells.

Automated summary

Two antimony complexes with thiosemicarbazone ligands were synthesized and showed promising antifungal, antibacterial, and anticancer activities.