Transdermal delivery system to release phthalocyanine photosensitizers for the potential treatment of skin cancer with PDT.

This research aims to examine the transdermal release of water-soluble indium and zinc metallo phthalocyanine (InPc and ZnPc) compounds from the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) membrane and the cytotoxicity effect of these Pcs on normal mouse fibroblasts (L929 fibroblast) and human melanoma (SK-MEL-30) cells. For this purpose, the effects of temperature, pH, drug concentration and membrane thickness on transdermal release were investigated in order to obtain the optimum transdermal release profile by preparing PVA membranes with different thicknesses and crosslinked by heat treatment. Optimum drug release was found to be 85.36% using 6 µm thick PVA membrane at 37 ± 0.5 °C, when upper cell pH 1.2 and lower cell pH 5.5, for 3 mg/mL InPc drug concentration. Under the same conditions, the drug release value for ZnPc was found to be 69.78%. In addition, in vitro studies were performed on L929 and SK-MEL-30 cells. under optimized drug (InPc and ZnPc) and membrane conditions. It was found that no significant cytotoxic effect was observed in L929 and SK-MEL-30 cells in the dark. Photodynamic tests were also carried out with InPc and ZnPc. The results show that cell viability decreases in SK-MEL-30 cells at concentrations of 10 µg/mL and above. In addition, while the InPc IC50 value was determined as 4.058 µg/mL, this value was determined as 11.574 µg/mL for ZnPc.

Characterization of prodigiosin pigment by Serratia marcescens and the evaluation of its bioactivities.

The aim of the present study is to discover a bacterial pigment providing protection and prevention of neurological damage and cancer development, which can have a role as a non-synthetic food additive in the food industry as well as an active drug ingredient of anticancer drugs and pharmaceuticals for neural injury. Within this scope, Serratia marcescens MB703 strain was used to produce prodigiosin. Characterization of the prodigiosin was carried out using UV-VIS, and FT-IR. In addition, its inhibitory action on AChE and antioxidant activities were determined. The cytotoxic, genotoxic and antigenotoxic activities of the prodigiosin as well as its antiproliferative activities were detected. It was determined that the maximum production of the prodigiosin (72 mg/L). The prodigiosin was found to cause no significant difference in its inhibitory effect on AChE. The prodigiosin was found effective on all antioxidant parameters tested. The IC50 values of the prodigiosin on SK-MEL-30 and HT-29 cells were calculated as 70 and 47 µM, respectively. This IC50 values of the prodigiosin showed no cytotoxic effect on L929 cells. Prodigiosin did not have genotoxic effect alone and also seem to decrease DNA damage induced by H2O2 in L929 cells. The findings of in vitro experimental studies suggest that using the prodigiosin pigment as a drug candidate for cancer and neurodegenerative disease therapy is both effective and safe.

Metal complexes driven from Schiff bases and semicarbazones for biomedical and allied applications: a review.

Schiff bases are versatile organic compounds which are widely used and synthesized by condensation reaction of different amino compound with aldehydes or ketones known as imine. Schiff base ligands are considered as privileged ligands as they are simply synthesized by condensation. They show broad range of application in medicine, pharmacy, coordination chemistry, biological activities, industries, food packages, dyes, and polymer and also used as an O2 detector. Semicarbazone is an imine derivative which is derived from condensation of semicarbazide and suitable aldehyde and ketone. Imine ligand-containing transition metal complexes such as copper, zinc, and cadmium have shown to be excellent precursors for synthesis of metal or metal chalcogenide nanoparticles. In recent years, the researchers have attracted enormous attention toward Schiff bases, semicarbazones, thiosemicarbazones, and their metal complexes owing to numerous applications in pharmacology such as antiviral, antifungal, antimicrobial, antimalarial, antituberculosis, anticancer, anti-HIV, catalytic application in oxidation of organic compounds, and nanotechnology. In this review, we summarize the synthesis, structural, biological, and catalytic application of Schiff bases as well as their metal complexes.