Structural investigations and antibacterial, antifungal and anticancer studies on zinc salicylaldimine complexes

Abstract

<b>Aim:</b> Zinc salicylaldimines may act as multidrug agents.<b>Results:</b> Three zinc salicylaldimines <b>C1-C3</b> and respective ligands <b>HL¹</b>-<b>HL³</b> were examined for antimicrobial/anticancer drug action and <b>C3</b> was structurally analyzed (tetrahedral, triclinic). Against two fungi, <b>C1</b> inhibited <i>Candida albicans</i> with 12 mm (21 mm for amphotericin B). Among four bacteria, two ligands inhibited <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Escherichia coli</i> (9-10 mm), but the complexes inhibited all bacteria with 10-14 mm (21-26 mm for ampicillin). The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations for the ligands, complexes and doxorubicin were 195.5-310.7, 22.18-70.05 and 9.66 μM against cancerous MCF-7 cells and 186.4-199.9, 14.95-18.87 and 36.42 μM against normal BHK cells.<b>Conclusion:</b> The complexation produced pronounced enhancement in the ligand antimicrobial/anticancer activities, despite these activities are moderate comparing with standards.