Novel Palladium(II) β-Diketonate Complexes: Synthesis, Dual Antimicrobial/Anticancer Activity, and Molecular Insights into DNA/Protein Interactions
- 1Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kragujevac, Radoja Domanovića 12, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia
- 2Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Vojvode Stepe 450, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
Abstract
This study reports the synthesis and biological evaluation of four novel palladium(II) complexes (B1–B4) with O,O-bidentate β-diketo ester ligands. Spectroscopic characterization confirmed their structures, while biological assays revealed substituent-dependent activity. Complexes B3 and B4 showed the most consistent antimicrobial activity, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 312–1200 μM across the tested microorganisms. B3 exhibited the highest antiproliferative potency, with IC50 values of 2.3, 5.2, and 5.4 μM against K-562, HeLa, and HaCaT cells, respectively. However, its selectivity varied with the cell model, reaching a selectivity index (SI) of 5.17 against K-562 cells relative to MRC-5 fibroblasts and 2.35 relative to HaCaT cells. B2 showed a more moderate activity profile, with some selectivity towards K-562 cells. Flow-cytometric analysis revealed increased sub-G0/G1 populations following treatment, consistent with the induction of apoptosis. Biophysical assays and molecular docking indicated structure-dependent interactions with DNA, while fluorescence studies revealed differences in the apparent binding affinities of the complexes toward human serum albumin (HSA). These findings highlight the influence of ligand structure on the biological activity and biomolecular interactions of palladium(II) complexes, identifying B3 as the most promising candidate for further investigation based on its antiproliferative potency and selectivity.
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BibTeX
@article{stevanovic2026novel,
title = {{Novel Palladium(II) β-Diketonate Complexes: Synthesis, Dual Antimicrobial/Anticancer Activity, and Molecular Insights into DNA/Protein Interactions}},
author = {Marija Trifunović Stevanović and Nenad Joksimović and Jelena Petronijević and Snežana Stojanović and Slađana Đorđević and Jelena Antić Stanković and Biljana Bufan and Dragana D. Božić},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27219437},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9437},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Novel Palladium(II) β-Diketonate Complexes: Synthesis, Dual Antimicrobial/Anticancer Activity, and Molecular Insights into DNA/Protein Interactions
AU - Marija Trifunović Stevanović
AU - Nenad Joksimović
AU - Jelena Petronijević
AU - Snežana Stojanović
AU - Slađana Đorđević
AU - Jelena Antić Stanković
AU - Biljana Bufan
AU - Dragana D. Božić
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27219437
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9437
AB - This study reports the synthesis and biological evaluation of four novel palladium(II) complexes (B1–B4) with O,O-bidentate β-diketo ester ligands. Spectroscopic characterization confirmed their structures, while biological assays revealed substituent-dependent activity. Complexes B3 and B4 showed the most consistent antimicrobial activity, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 312–1200 μM across the tested microorganisms. B3 exhibited the highest antiproliferative potency, with IC50 values of 2.3, 5.2, and 5.4 μM against K-562, HeLa, and HaCaT cells, respectively. However, its selectivity varied with the cell model, reaching a selectivity index (SI) of 5.17 against K-562 cells relative to MRC-5 fibroblasts and 2.35 relative to HaCaT cells. B2 showed a more moderate activity profile, with some selectivity towards K-562 cells. Flow-cytometric analysis revealed increased sub-G0/G1 populations following treatment, consistent with the induction of apoptosis. Biophysical assays and molecular docking indicated structure-dependent interactions with DNA, while fluorescence studies revealed differences in the apparent binding affinities of the complexes toward human serum albumin (HSA). These findings highlight the influence of ligand structure on the biological activity and biomolecular interactions of palladium(II) complexes, identifying B3 as the most promising candidate for further investigation based on its antiproliferative potency and selectivity.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -