Vanadium oxide 3- methoxy salen, a synthetic biologically active complex against HeLa and McCoy cell lines

Background: Vanadium is an essential dietary microelement that plays a key role in metabolic pathways and has anti-neoplastic effects. In this regard, vanadium oxide 3-methoxy salen complex was produced and its anticancer effects were evaluated against HeLa and McCoy cell lines. Methods: Schiff bases produced from equivalents of Vanadyl acetylacetonate [VO(acac)2] in methanol were used to make a vanadium oxide 3-methoxy salen complex. Then, The antioxidant property of compound, cell viability and cytotoxicity assay, DNA fragmentation analysis and determination of the apoptosis pathway genes were evaluated. Results: The result showed that the compound with an RC50 value of 126.3 µM demonstrated considerable free radical scavenging activity. The combination strongly suppressed the viability and proliferation of HeLa and McCoy cell lines in a dose-dependent manner, with IC50 values of 213 µM and 175 µM, respectively. When the viability and cytotoxicity values of the treated cells were compared, it was discovered that the cells had died of apoptosis, which was validated by DNA fragmentation analysis. Capspase 3, Bcl2 antagonist/killer, and Bcl2 associated X protein (Bax) gene expression levels all increased significantly in a quantitative investigation of apoptotic pathway genes, with 2-CT values of 2.36, 2.63, and 3.18, respectively. Conclusion: In HeLa and McCoy malignant cell lines, lower quantities of the complex caused programmed cell death. This potential of complex can be used in cancer chemoprevention and cancer therapy.