Copper(II):Phenanthroline Complexes with L-asparagine and L-methionine: Synthesis, Crystal Structure and in-Vitro Cytotoxic Effects on Prostate, Breast and Melanoma Cancer Cells

Abstract Here we report the cytotoxic effects of the two ternary copper(II) complexes [Cu(Phen)(L-methionine)H2O]Cl·1.5H2O (Cu(PHEN)(MET)) and [Cu(Phen)(L-asparagine)H2OCl]H2O (Cu(PHEN)(ASN)), which showed high chemotherapy potential against cancer cells lines. A novel ternary copper(II) complex, Cu(PHEN)(ASN) has been synthesized and its crystalline structure has been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The new complex crystallized in a triclinic system with P-1 space group. The copper(II) center is situated in a trigonal bipyramidal molecular geometry. Both complexes exhibited potent cytotoxic effects against cancer cells lines, killing 100% human melanoma cancer cells line MV3 and 90% human breast cancer cells line MCF7 at a concentration of 50 μg/ml. Less pronounced but still very good effects were observed for human breast cancer cells line MDA-MB-23 and human prostate cancer cells lines DU-145 and PC3, where both complexes killed about 70% of these cells lines at a concentration of 50 μg/ml. The Cu(PHEN)(MET) and Cu(PHEN)(ASN) complexes also presented low IC50 values.