Potential anti-cancer activity of a novel Bi(III) containing thiosemicarbazone derivative

Abstract By mixing 5-bromo-2-furaldehyde, phenylthiosemicarbazide and Bi(CH 3 COO) 3 , a new amorphous bismuth-containing complex, BiL 2 Cl 3 , was synthesized under aqueous conditions via a one-pot method and characterized with some analytical techniques, where L was produced by dehydration between 5-bromo-2-furaldehyde, phenylthiosemicarbazide. The obtained complex effectively inhibited the proliferation and migration of A549 and H460 lung cancer cells, induced cell apoptosis and displayed fairly low cytotoxicity to normal human lung fibroblast (HLF). Compared with cisplatin, BiL 2 Cl 3 displayed better anti-cancer activity against tumor cells and lower toxicity to normal cell. Therefore, BiL 2 Cl 3 with potent anti-cancer activity may be a viable drug candidate in anti-cancer therapies.