Study on potential antitumor mechanism of quinoline-based silver(I) complexes: Synthesis, structural characterization, cytotoxicity, cell cycle and caspase-initiated apoptosis

Three mononuclear silver(I) complexes were synthesized and checked the anti-cancer effect in four cancer cell lines. Our results suggested that complexes 1-3-induced apoptosis is mediated through the intrinsic apoptotic pathway with changes in mitochondrial membrane potential by finally activating effector caspase-3/9 to trigger cell apoptosis.