Abstract Ruthenium (II) complexes have emerged as promising candidates in medicinal inorganic chemistry due to their diverse coordination chemistry, photochemical activity, and potential therapeutic properties. In this study we synthesized two Ruthenium polypyridyl complexes with BMPIP ligand. The DNA binding interactions, photocleavage efficiency, and anticancer potential of a series of synthesized ruthenium complexes bearing polypyridyl and ancillary ligands. Spectroscopic and viscosity measurements indicate strong intercalative binding mode toward calf thymus DNA. Upon photoirradiation, the complexes exhibit significant pBR 322 DNA cleavage activity, attributed to the generation of reactive oxygen species and photoinduced electron transfer. Cytotoxic assays against selected human cancer cell lines reveal potent antiproliferative effects, comparable with to conventional chemotherapeutic agents, with minimal effects on normal cells. These findings highlight the multifunctional nature of ruthenium complexes as photo responsive anticancer drugs.
Dayanand et al. (Sat,) studied this question.