Structurally related hydrazone-based metal complexes with different antitumor activities variably induce apoptotic cell death.

Three new complexes bearing the tridentate hydrazone-based ligand 2-(2-(1-(pyridin-2-yl)ethylidene)hydrazinyl)pyridine (L) were synthesized and structurally characterized. Biological tests indicate that the Zn(ii) complex [ZnCl(L)] is of low cytotoxicity against the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2. In contrast, the Cu(ii) and Mn(ii) complexes [CuCl(L)] and [MnCl(L)] are highly cytotoxic with EC values of 1.