Stability and toxicity of heteroleptic organometallic Bi(v) complexes towards Leishmania major

Abstract

Eleven heteroleptic Bi(v) complexes of the form [BiPh3(O 2CR)2] have been synthesised and fully characterised. The carboxylate ligands are derived from a series of simple substituted benzoic acids, four of which are common non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs). The solid-state structures of eight of the complexes were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction, and all were shown to adopt a typical trigonal bipyramidal geometry with chelating carboxylate ligands. Nine of the complexes were assessed for their anti-parasitic activity against Leishmania major promastigotes and their cytotoxicity towards human fibroblasts. The assays indicated that while the complexes showed good anti-l..