A mini-review on Ru(II)-curcumin metal complexes based anticancer agents

The design of metal-containing anticancer agents based on bioactive ligands is an active field of research. The bioavailability and anticancer potential of Ru(II) metal complexes have been significantly improved by forming complexes with bioactive ligands. Different kinds of bioactive ligands have so far been introduced to the Ru(II) metal complexes and one such bioactive ligand used extensively is curcumin. In the past years, several Ru(II)-curcumin metal complexes adorned with different organic capping ligands have been developed and explored for their potential anticancer properties. In this article, we reviewed the structures, and anticancer properties of various Ru(II)-curcumin metal complexes reported to date. The Ru(II) complexes are grouped according to the capping ligands (arene, bipyridine, and 1,4,7-trithiacyclononane) attached to the Ru(II) metal ions and each section highlights the effect of substitution and modification of capping ligands to the Ru(II)-curcumin complexes on their anticancer properties.