American trypanosomiasis or Chagas disease, caused by the protist parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), is a major health concern in Latin America. In the search for new bioactive compounds, eight Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes of thiosemicarbazones derived from 1-indanones (HL) were evaluated as potential anti-T. cruzi compounds. Their unspecific cytotoxicity was determined on human erythrocytes. Two physicochemical features, lipophilicity and redox behavior, that could be potentially relevant for the biological activity of these complexes, were determined. Crystal structure of [Pd(HL1)(L1)]Cl·CH3OH, where HL1=1-indanone thiosemicarbazone, was solved by X-ray diffraction methods. Five of the eight metal complexes showed activity against T. cruzi with IC50 values in the low micromolar range and showed significantly higher activity than the corresponding free ligands. Four of them resulted more active against the parasite than the reference antitrypanosomal drug Nifurtimox. Anti-T. cruzi activity and selectivity towards the parasite were both higher for the Pd(II) compounds than for the Pt(II) analogues, showing the effect of the metal center selection on the biological behavior. Among both physicochemical features tested for this series of compounds, lipophilicity and redox behavior, only the former seemed to show correlation with the antiproliferative effects observed. Metal coordination improved bioactivity but lead to an increase of mammalian cytotoxicity. Nevertheless, some of the metal complexes tested in this work still show suitable selectivity indexes and deserve further developments.

In the search for alternative chemotherapeutic strategies against leukemia, various 1‐indanone thiosemicarbazones, as well as eight novel platinum(II) and palladium(II) complexes, with the formula [MCl 2 (HL)] and [M(HL)(L)]Cl, derived from two 1‐indanone thiosemicarbazones were synthesized and tested for antiproliferative activity against the human leukemia U937 cell line. The crystal structure of [Pt(HL1)(L1)]Cl . 2 M eOH, where L1=1‐indanone thiosemicarbazone, was solved by X‐ray diffraction. Free thiosemicarbazone ligands showed no antiproliferative effect, but the corresponding platinum(II) and palladium(II) complexes inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. Platinum(II) complexes also displayed selective apoptotic activity in U937 cells but not in peripheral blood monocytes or the human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cell line used to screen for potential hepatotoxicity. Present findings show that, in U937 cells, 1‐indanone thiosemicarbazones coordinated to palladium(II) were more cytotoxic than those complexed with platinum(II), although the latter were found to be more selective for leukemic cells suggesting that they are promising compounds with potential therapeutic application against hematological malignancies.

In the search for gallium bioactive compounds five Ga(III) complexes, [GaIII(L–H)2](NO3), with tridentate salicylaldehyde semicarbazone derivatives as ligands (L) have been synthesized and characterized in the solid state and in solution by different techniques. The crystal structure of [GaIII(L4–H)2](NO3)·2H2O, where L4 is 3-ethoxysalicylaldehyde semicarbazone, was solved by X-ray diffraction methods. The gallium(III) ion is in a distorted octahedral environment, coordinated to two nearly planar and mutually perpendicular 3-ethoxysalicylaldehyde semicarbazonato anions acting as tridentate ligands through their phenol and carbonyl oxygen atoms and their azomethine nitrogen atom. Their biological potential has been explored by evaluating their activity on Mycobacterium tuberculosis, causative agent of tuberculosis, and their cytotoxicity on tumor cell lines. Three different human tumor cell lines were selected that show different degrees of resistance to metallodrugs: ovarian A2780 (low resistance), breast MCF7 (medium resistance) and prostate PC3 (high resistance) cells. Although the complexes have not shown activity on M. tuberculosis, complexation with gallium has led to the enhancement of the cytotoxic potencies of the organic compounds. Those complexes that contain a bromide substituent at the phenolate ring have shown the highest cytotoxicities. In particular, [GaIII(L2–H)2](NO3), where L2 is 5-bromosalicylaldehyde semicarbazone,·has shown a remarkable cytotoxicity on A2780 tumor cell line with an IC50 value of the same order than cisplatin (IC50 Ga–L2=2.4±0.3μM; IC50 cisplatin=2.0±0.1μM, 72h incubation at 37°C). Interestingly, this complex has also shown moderate cytotoxicity against MCF7 and PC3 cells (IC50 MCF7=30±6; IC50 PC3=18±3μM). Therefore, this gallium compound could be considered a promising wide spectrum potential anti-tumor agent.

Eight new platinum(II) complexes with 3-(5-nitrofuryl)acroleine thiosemicarbazones showing anti-trypanosomal activity were synthesized, characterized and in vitro evaluated. Most of the complexes showed IC50 values in the micromolar range against two different strains of Trypanosoma cruzi, causative agent of Chagas disease (American Trypanosomiasis). In addition, most of the newly developed complexes, together with the analogous platinum 5-nitrofuraldehyde containing thiosemicarbazones previously reported, resulted more active than the reference trypanocidal drug nifurtimox on the infective trypomastigote form of the parasite. Their capacity to produce free radicals that could lead to parasite death was evaluated by ESR experiments in the parasite and by respiration measurements. Compounds were tested for their DNA interaction ability. Results showed that some of the compounds could act as dual inhibitors in the parasite, through production of toxic free radicals and interaction with DNA. All the results were compared with those previously reported for the free ligands, the analogous palladium(II) compounds and the previously reported series of platinum(II) compounds.

In the search for new therapeutic tools against Chagas’ disease (American Trypanosomiasis) two series of new platinum(II) complexes with bioactive 5-nitrofuryl containing thiosemicarbazones as ligands were synthesized, characterized and in vitro evaluated. Most of the complexes showed IC50 values in the μM range against two different strains of Trypanosoma cruzi, causative agent of the disease, being as active as the anti-trypanosomal drug Nifurtimox. In particular, the coordination of L3 (4-ethyl-1-(5-nitrofurfurylidene)thiosemicarbazide) to Pt(II) forming [Pt(L3)2] lead to almost a five-fold activity increase in respect to the free ligand. Trying to get an insight into the trypanocidal mechanism of action of these compounds, DNA and redox metabolism (intra-parasite free radical production) were evaluated as potential parasite targets. Results suggest that the complexes could inhibit parasite growth through a dual mechanism of action involving production of toxic free radicals by bioreduction and DNA interaction.