Synthesis and characterization of copper(II) octaazamacrocyclic complexes with glycine derivatives. In vitro antiproliferative and antimicrobial evaluation of the Cu(II) and Co(II) analogous

Two new complexes with the general formula [Cu2(L)tpmc](ClO4)3·nH2O (tpmc = N,N′,N′′,N′′′-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)- -1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane, L = N-methylglycine, n = 3; L = N,N- -dimethylglycine, n = 2) were isolated and their composition, some physical and chemical properties and geometries were proposed based on elemental analysis (C, H, N), conductometric and magnetic measurements and spectro-scopic data (UV–Vis, FTIR). It is evident that the complexes are binuclear and an exo coordination mode of the macrocyclic ligand in the boat conformation was proposed. The co-ligands are coordinated as a bridge using both oxygen atoms of the OCO- group. The cytotoxic activity of Cu(II) complexes as well as their Co(II) analogs, the starting ligands and the free salts were tested against human cervix adenocarcinoma cell line (HeLa), human chronic myelo-genous leukemia cells (K562), human breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-453), and a non-cancerous cell line, human embryonic lung fibroblast (MRC-5). The IC50 values for the Cu(II) complexes were from 21.6±0.04 to 66.1±0.8, and for the Co(II) analogs were within the range from 8.8±0.74 to 15.40±1.52. All four complexes were tested for their antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and the yeast Candida albicans.