Synthesis, Characterization, and Antitumour Studies of Metal Chelates of Some Synthetic Curcuminoids

Abstract

Four new curcuminoid (1,7‐diaryl‐1,6‐heptadiene‐3,5‐diones) analogues and their vanadyl(IV), cobalt(II), nickel(II) and copper(II) chelates of ML₂ stoichiometry have been synthesized and characterized by electronic, IR, ¹H NMR, ESR and mass spectral data. The in vitro and in vivo antitumour activity of these 1,7‐diarylheptanoids and their copper(II) chelates showed that chelation remarkably enhanced cytotoxic activity and other antitumour properties.

Keywords:

• Curcuminoids
• 1,7‐diarylheptanoids
• Metal chelates
• Antitumour activity
• NMR spectra
• Mass spectra

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Girija Kuttan and the Director of the Amala Cancer Research Centre, Trichur, Kerala, India, for their help in the antitumour studies.