Despite significant progress in medicine, cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Since the discovery of cisplatin's antitumor activity, it has remained one of the most commonly used chemotherapeutics in cancer treatment (1). However, serious side effects of platinum-based drugs significantly limit their clinical use. The study of transition metal complexes and their biological properties (e.g. antimicrobial, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, interactions with DNA) are the subject of intensive studies (2). Copper and zinc complexes, as an alternative to platinum-based drugs, display notable anticancer activity while causing fewer side effects than cisplatin. The variation in their biological activity is associated with the molecular structure of the ligand, and the type of central metal ion. Complexes of the salen-type ligands represent a promising group of compounds in medical research. Since colorectal cancer is the third most diagnosed type of cancer, the aim of this work was to prepare and study the antitumor effect of Schiff base ligands derived from 1,2-cyclohexanediamine and fluorine-substituted benzaldehydes and their Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes (3,4). All derivatives were examined for their antitumor activity against two model human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines (HT-29 and Caco-2) by MTT assay. Experimental results showed that in comparison with cisplatin, the studied Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes can significantly inhibit the growth of both HT-29 and Caco-2 tumor cells. Due to their marked cytotoxic effect, these metal complexes represent a promising alternative for the development of new anticancer agents.
This research was supported by grant APVV-23-0349.
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