Synthesis,characterization and cytotoxic/cytostatic activity of Sm(III) and Gd(III) complexes

New Sm(III) and Gd(III) complexes of deprotonated 4-hydroxy-3[1-(4-nitrophenyl)-3-oxobutyl]-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one (Acenocoumarol) were synthesized and characterized using FT-IR, FT-Raman, NMR spectra, and elemental analyses. The vibrational study gave evidence for the coordination of ligand to lanthanide ions. The ligand and its lanthanide(III) complexes were tested for their cytotoxic/cytostatic activity against two tumor cell lines and peritoneal mouse macrophages. The Sm(III) and Gd(III) complexes exhibit good activity against melanoma B16 and fibrosarcoma L929 and are stronger inhibitors of tumor cell proliferation than the ligand. Besides their cytotoxicity to tumor cells, Acenocoumarol and its gadolinium(III) and samarium(III) complexes modulate NO generation in activated macrophages.