Exploring Biological Properties of Manganese(II)‐Phenanthroline‐Based Complexes: In Vitro Insights
ABSTRACT Manganese is a bioessential element that plays a crucial role in biological systems. Four Mn(II) complexes with different 1,10‐phen skeletons were synthesized, characterized, and their purity was confirmed by elemental analysis. The solid structure of cis ‐[Mn(phenOne) 2 Cl 2 ] ( 3 ) where phenOne is 1,10‐phenanthroline‐5,6‐dione, was determined by x‐ray diffraction. All complexes are stable in aqueous media and interact with human serum albumin, an important behavior for a good pharmacokinetic profile. All complexes were tested against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Trypanosoma cruzi , and Leishmania amazonensis . Furthermore, their cytotoxicity was investigated on breast (MDA‐MB‐231 and MCF‐10A) and lung (A549 and MRC‐5) human cell lines. The effect of complex 3 , the most promising complex, on the morphology of MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer cells was further studied at different concentrations. The cytotoxic effect was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy using Hoechst/PI dyes. Viscosity, circular dichroism, fluorescence experiments, and electrophoresis indicated that DNA is not the main target for this compound. Overall, manganese(II)–phenanthroline complexes represent a promising scaffold for medicinal applications.
Authors
- José Luciano Nepomuceno‐Silva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8413-2988)
- Mário Sérgio Schultz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7021-1311)
- Isabel Correia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7096-4284)
- Thatiana Lopes Biá Ventura Simão (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7563-1833)
- Leonardo Moreira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0617-6045)
- João Luiz Mendes Wanderley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9707-6284)
- Celisnólia M. Leite (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0933-9767)
- Marcos V. Palmeira‐Mello (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2550-5315)
- Elena Lasunskaia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6726-273X)
- Javier Ellena (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0676-3098)
- Alexandre B. de Carvalho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8699-6165)
- Michelle F. Muzitano (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0155-3240)
- Mikaelly P. Caet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1657-7400)
- Pedro H. Machado (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0410-5243)
- Roberto S. Silva
- Arieli B. Portugal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9873-615X)
- Alzir A. Batista
Institutions
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
- University of Lisbon (PT)
- Universidade Federal de São Carlos (BR)
- Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
- State University of Norte Fluminense (BR)
- Federal University of São João del-Rei (BR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ChemistrySelect
- Published
- 2026-07-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/slct.73978
- Primary Topic
- Metal complexes synthesis and properties
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00