Comprehensive investigation of Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes derived from a novel Schiff base: Synthesis, characterization, DNA interactions, ADME profiling, molecular docking, and in-vitro biological evaluation

Here, anisidine-based ligand (HL) and its cobalt (1a), nickel (1b) and copper (1c) complexes were synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic techniques such as NMR, mass, IR, UV–visible, magnetic moments, ESR and TGA. The synthesized [Ni(L)2] and [Cu(L)2] complexes demonstrated square planar geometry around the metal centers, while the cobalt complex [Co(L)2(H2O)2] adopted six coordinated octahedral geometries. The DNA interaction studies of the complexes revealed an intercalative mode of binding, as evidenced by UV absorption, emission, and viscosity experiments, and the binding constant (Kb) follows the order of 1c > 1a > 1b. When exposed to oxidative and photolytic methods, the complexes demonstrated better efficacy in cleaving double-stranded pBR322 DNA compared to their parent Schiff base. When tested for cytotoxicity against A549 and MCF7 cell lines, complexes showed more activity than their parent ligand. In-vitro studies of the complexes' antimicrobial and antioxidant properties shown that they are far more effective than the parent ligand. Further, the biological efficiency of the ligand (HL) and complexes were verified by computational methods, including molecular docking (against protein data bank PDB ID: 2ADO.pdb) and pharmacokinetic studies, both the ligand (HL) and complexes have demonstrated significant potency. This promising result indicated their potential as therapeutic agents for treating pathogen-induced deformities.