Synthesis, characterization, molecular modeling studies, and biological evaluation of metal piroxicam complexes (M = Ni(II), Pt(IV), Pd(II), Ag(I)) as antibacterial and anticancer agents

Abstract Four piroxicam metal complexes; NiL 2 , PtL 2 , PdL 2 , and AgL were synthesized and characterized by different techniques with enhanced antibacterial and anticancer activity. Regarding in vitro antimicrobial activity, complex NiL 2 displayed potent antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa that was 1.9‐folds higher than piroxicam (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] = 31.85, 65.32 µM), respectively. In case of G+ve bacteria, complex PtL 2 had potent activity on Staphylococcus aureus which was 2.1‐folds higher than piroxicam (MIC = 43.12 µM), while activity of complex AgL against Enterococcus faecalis was threefolds higher than piroxicam (MIC = 74.57 µM. Complexes PtL 2 and PdL 2 exhibited higher inhibition of DNA gyrase than piroxicam (IC 50 = 6.21 µM) in the range of 1.9–1.7‐folds. The in vitro antiproliferative activity depicted that all investigated complexes showed better cytotoxic effect than piroxicam, specifically Pt and Pd complexes which had lower IC 50 values than piroxicam on human liver cancer cell line HepG2 by 1.8 and 1.7‐folds, respectively. While Pd and Ag complexes showed 2 and 1.6‐folds better effect on human colon cancer cell line HT‐29 compared with piroxicam. Molecular modeling studies including docking on Stranded DNA Duplex (1juu) and DNA gyrase enzyme (1kzn) that gave good insight about interaction of complexes with target molecules, calculation of electrostatic potential map and global reactivity descriptors were performed.