Potential mechanism of the anti-trypanosomal activity of organoruthenium complexes with bioactive thiosemicarbazones.

In the search for new metal-based drugs against diseases produced by trypanosomatid parasites, four organoruthenium(II) compounds [Ru2(p-cymene)2(L)2]X2, where L are bioactive 5-nitrofuryl-containing thiosemicarbazones and X = Cl or PF6, had been previously obtained. These compounds had shown activity on Trypanosoma brucei, the etiological agent of African trypanosomiasis. Because of genomic similarities between trypanosomatides, these ruthenium compounds were evaluated, in the current work, on Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite responsible of American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease).

Vanadium polypyridyl compounds as potential antiparasitic and antitumoral agents: new achievements.

In the search for new therapeutic tools against diseases produced by kinetoplastid parasites five vanadyl complexes, [V(IV)O(L-2H)(phen)], including 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) and tridentate salicylaldehyde semicarbazone derivatives as ligands have been synthesized and characterized in the solid state and in solution by using different techniques. EPR suggested a distorted octahedral geometry with the tridentate semicarbazone occupying three equatorial positions and phen coordinated in an equatorial/axial mode. The compounds were evaluated in vitro on epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi, causative agent of Chagas disease, Leishmania panamensis and Leishmania chagasi and on tumor cells.