Synthesis, Characterization, and In Vivo Anti-Cancer Activity of New Metal Complexes Derived from Isatin-N(4)antipyrinethiosemicarbazone Ligand Against Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma Cells

The current study aimed to synthesize new metal coordination complexes with potential biomedical applications. Metal complexes were prepared via the reaction of isatin-N(4)anti- pyrinethiosemicarbazone ligand 1 with Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II), Zn(II), and Fe(III) ions. The obtained metal complexes 2–12 were characterized using elemental, spectral (1H-NMR, EPR, Mass, IR, UV-Vis) and thermal (TGA) techniques, as well as magnetic moment and molar conductance measurements. In addition, their geometries were studied using EPR and UV–Vis spectroscopy. To evaluate the in vivo anti-cancer activities of these complexes, the ligand 1 and its metal complexes 2, 7 and 9 were tested against solid tumors. The solid tumors were induced by subcutaneous (SC) injection of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells in mice. The impact of the selected complexes on the reduction of tumor volume was determined. Also, the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and cysteine aspartyl-specific protease-7 (caspase-7) in tumor and liver tissues of mice bearing EAC tumor were determined. Moreover, their effects on alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), albumin, and glucose levels were measured. The results revealed that the tested compounds, especially complex 9, reduced tumor volume, inhibited the expression of VEGF, and induced the expression of caspase-7. Additionally, they restored the levels of ALT, AST, albumin, and glucose close to their normal levels. Taken together, our newly synthesized metal complexes are promising anti-cancer agents against solid tumors induced by EAC cells as supported by the inhibition of VEGF and induction of caspase-7

Using Biochar and Nanobiochar of Water Hyacinth and Black Tea Waste in Metals Removal from Aqueous Solutions

The treatment of heavy metal-contaminated water is challenging. The use of nanomaterials from many environmental wastes is promising for removing metals and contaminants from aqueous solutions. This study is novel in using nanobiochar of water hyacinth (WH) and black tea waste (TW) as a promising approach to water decontamination owing to its unique properties that play an effective role in metal adsorption. The mono- and multi-adsorption systems of cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni) on biochar and nanobiochar of water hyacinths (BWH and NBWH) and black tea waste (BTW and NBTW) were investigated in this study as potential low-cost and environmentally friendly absorbents for the removal of previously mentioned heavy metals (HMs) from aqueous solutions. The WH and TW were collected from the locality, prepared, and kept until used in the experiment. Nanobiochar was prepared by grinding, characterizing, and storing in airtight containers until used. A batch experiment was designed in mono- and competitive systems to study the adsorption equilibrium behavior of HMs on biochar and nanobiochars. The Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models were fitted to the mono- and competitive-adsorption equilibrium results. The Freundlich isotherm model provided a better fit. Furthermore, it was noticed that NBWH and NBWT efficiently removed the Cd in the mono-system by ≥99.8, especially in the smaller concentration, while NBWT and BTW removed ≥99.8 and 99.7% in the competitive system, respectively. In the mono- and competitive systems, the nanobiochars of NBTW removed more than 98.8 of Cr. The sorbents were less efficient in Ni removal compared to Cd and Cr. However, their effectiveness was very high also. The results revealed that Cd was the highest metal removed by sorbents, nanobiochars were better than biochars to remove the HMs, and the results also indicated that co-occurrence of multi-metals might fully occupy the adsorption sites on biochars and nanobiochars