Abstract
In this work we present 3 new complexes of Ruthenium (III) with a general formula
HL[Ru(L)2Cl4], where L=benzothiazole, 2-methylbenzothiazole and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole. The syntheses
were carried out in polar medium under argon. The compounds obtained were characterised by IR-, 1H-NMR- 13C-NMR-, UV-VIS-spectroscopy and conductivity measurements. The ligands behaved as
monodentate, bounding Ru(III) through the nitrogen atoms from the heterocycle. The
cytotoxicity of the new complexes was tested against 2 human leukemic cell lines (K-562
and KE-37), using the MTT-dye reduction assay. The Ru(III) coordination compound with
2-methylbenzothiazole displayed superior activity compared to the other novel complexes.
Its IC50 values were comparable to that of the reference cytotoxic drug cisplatin.
In general, the ligands displayed only marginal inhibitory effects on the human leukemic
cell lines. Moreover, the ability of the complexes to trigger apoptosis was evaluated
using a commercially available DNA-fragmentation ELISA kit and the obtained data indicated
that their proapoptotic effects well correlate to the MTT-bioassay data.
Key words
cytotoxicity - ruthenium(III) complexes - benzothiazole - synthesis