Are Zn(ii) pincer complexes efficient apoptosis inducers? a deep insight into their activity against A549 lung cancer cells

Abstract

To expand the array of chemotherapeutic drugs, earth-abundant metal complexes are found to be the future direction. In this regard, new zinc(II) complexes 1–3 of 8-aminoquinoline-based pincer ligands were synthesized, characterized and tested for their anticancer activity. The IC₅₀ values of these complexes were estimated by an MTT assay to be 16.35–17.95 μM and 33.35–40 μM against A549 lung and MCF-7 breast cancer cells respectively. Among them, 3 was slightly better than the other complexes and, thus, subjected to detailed studies. Moreover, the ligand corresponding to 3 was less active against both the cell lines than the complex. Further, 3 showed no toxicity against normal fibroblast cell line L929, which instantly elevated the drug characteristic of our complex. An AO-EB staining assay revealed that 3 can induce apoptosis in A549, and it was quantified by flow cytometry as 22.77%. Moreover, the depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential determined by JC-1 staining indicated excess ROS production sites in the mitochondria, which was confirmed by carboxy-H₂DCFDA staining. Interestingly, the present complexes show better activity than that of the standard drug cisplatin against A549 cells. Overall, the studies provided promising results that can be extended for clinical applications.