Synthesis,DNA interaction and antitumor activities of cobalt(II) and iron(III) complexes of 2-[bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amino] propanic acid

Three complexes with 2-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amino] propanic acid (Adpa) were synthesized and characterized. The crystal structure of (Adpa)CoCl] (1) shows that the cobalt(II) atom is coordinated by three N atoms, one oxygen atom from the Adpa ligand and one chloride, forming a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry. The fluorescence titration data indicate the interactions of ct-DNA with complexes (Adpa)FeCl₂] (2) and (Adpa)Fe(H₂O)₂] (3) are exothermic, but binding of complex (1) with ct-DNA is endothermic. The inhibiting activities of the three complexes on the cancer cells (Mcf-7, Eca-109, A549 and Hela) follow the order: (3) > (2) ≫ (1), which is in correlation with their DNA-binding properties.