Synthesis, characterization and in vitro anticancer activities of semicarbazone and thiosemicarbazone derivatives of salicylaldehyde and their copper complexes against human breast cancer cell line MCF-7

Abstract

Copper complexes of salicylaldehyde semi-/thiosemicarbazones are prepared and characteri zed structurally through their X-ray structures. The chloro compound of the semiearbazone ligand is monomeric having square planar geometry while the nitro complex is dimeric containing phenoxyl bridges. The chloro complex of the thiosemicarbazone derivative is dimeric where individual copper centres possess square pyramidal geometries. The parent

ligands are almost inactive against the rapidly dividing human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 while the copper conjugates of semi carbazone ligand are found to be potent antiproliferative agents due to their facile Cu²⁺/Cu⁺ redox couple and can generate considerable intracellular oxidative stress.