Anticancer potential of Pd and Pt metallo-macrocycles of phosphines and 4,4΄-dipyridyldiselenide

Metallo-macrocyclic PdII and PtII complexes were constructed from 4,4′-dipyridyldiselenide and wide-bite angle diphosphine dppf and Xantphos as corner ligand. X-ray analysis confirm the dimeric structure containing metal-pyridine bond. In vitro cytotoxic activity of the complexes was evaluated by MTT and clonogenic assay employing breast (MCF7), lung (A549), bone (U2OS) and ovarian (SKOV3) cancer cell lines. Induction of DNA damage by assessing γ-H2AX, showed [Pt(PEt3)2(4,4′-py2Se2)]2(OTf)4 has remarkably higher potential to induce nuclear abnormalities and anticancer activity than others including cisplatin.