Synthesis, characterization, cytotoxicity, DNA cleavage and antimicrobial activity of homodinuclear lanthanide complexes of phenylthioacetic acid

Lanthanide complexes of Eu(III), Gd(III), Nd(III), Sm(III), and Tb(III) with phenylthioacetic acid were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, mass, infrared radiation (IR), electronic spectra, molar conductance, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that the lanthanide complexes were homodinuclear in nature. The two lanthanide ions were bridged by eight oxygen atoms from four carboxylate groups. Thermal decomposition profiles were consistent with the proposed formulations. Powder XRD studies showed that all the complexes were amorphous in nature. Antimicrobial studies indicated that these complexes exhibited more activity than the ligand itself. The DNA cleavage activity of the ligand and its complexes were assayed on CT DNA using gel electrophoresis in the presence of H2O2. The result showed that the Eu(III) and Nd(III) complexes completely cleaved the DNA. The anticancer activities of the complexes were also studied towards human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) and colon cancer cells (HCT116) and it was found that the Eu(III) and Nd(III) complexes were more active than the corresponding Gd(III), Sm(III), Tb(III) complexes and the free ligand on both the cancer cells.