Tetra N-heterocyclic carbene dinuclear silver(I) complexes as potential anticancer agents: Synthesis and in vitro anticancer studies

Present study involves the synthesis and characterization of a newly designed tetrakis benzimidazolium salts, 1-5 and their respective tetra N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) dinuclear silver(I) complexes, 6-10 with different terminal substituents that constructed from either cyclopentyl, benzyl, n-butyl, 2-methylene benzonitrile or n-decyl. These well characterized compounds were then tested for anticancer potential by determining their IC50 values and antiproliferative activity on HCT116, MCF-7 and HeLa cancer cell lines. Anticancer potential of these compounds was then determined by evaluating the mode of cytotoxicity of these novel compounds. Among the synthesized compounds, the proligand 5 and silver(I)-NHC complex, 10 having n-decyl substitution show selective antiproliferation activity against human colon cancer cell lines (HCT-116). All the complexes 6-10 and proligand 5 show moderate and strong antiproliferative activity against breast cancer and cervical cancer possibly by inhibiting colony formation and migration of cancer cells.