Synthesis, characterization, and anti tumor application of a novel Zinc(II)-L ascorbic acid derivative

Abstract

In this research, a derivative of L-ascorbic acid (L) as a ligand was synthesized from the reaction of this acid with acetone compound in an acidic medium, and then, a complex reaction was carried out between the synthesized derivatives with zinc chloride salt using ethanol as a solvent. This is a novel attempt to use 5,6-O-isopropylidene-L-ascorbic acid as a derivative of L-ascorbic acid in the synthesis of zinc complex [Zn(L)Cl2 ]. Thin-layer chromatography was used to determine the time required for the completion of the reactions. The formation of the derivative (L) was confirmed by m.p, Rf, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), 1 H-nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectra, and the synthesis of [Zn(L)Cl2 ] was proved by m.p, Rf, FT-IR, and mass spectra. The biological activity of the fabricated complex was evaluated against three human cancer cell lines, including prostate cancer cell line (PC-3), colon cancer cell line (Caco-2), and breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). The [Zn(L)Cl2 ] exhibited a good reduction in cell viability in a dose-dependent system, where cell viability is reduced by increasing the concentration of the complex. In addition, its antioxidant activity was investigated and demonstrated significant activity at concentrations of 100 and 200 g/mL. Hence, this complex has the potential to be a promising drug for the treatment of PC-3, Caco-2, and MCF-7.