Objectives: To evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicity, antibacterial and antifungal activity of the synthesized mono-, di- and trinuclear ruthenium(II) polypyridine complexes.Methods: A series of synthesized ruthenium(II) complexes, R1, R2 and R3, are screened for in vitro antiproliferative activity against HepG2 cancer cell line using 96-well plate method. An assay of antimicrobial activity was performed by disc diffusion method. In addition an assay of an antifungal was performed by broth micro-dilution method.Results: The cytotoxicity of complexes revealed IC50 values of 14.52 (R3), 19.53 (R2) and 22.32 μM (R1) against HepG2 cell line in a dose dependent manner. All the complexes inhibited moderately the growth of Gram positive bacteria (G+) such as Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Eubacterium lentum, and Bacillus subtillis, quite meagerly the growth of the Gram negative bacterium (G─), Enterobacter aerogenes, but did not inhibit at all the growth of Erwinia amylovora (MTCC 2760) and showed a slight antifungal activity.Conclusion: From this study, we could suggest that the systematic increase in number of imidazole moiety along with expanding cloud of conjugated Ï€-electron system of ruthenium(II) polypyridine complexes is responsible for the antiproliferative activity which increases in the order, R1 < R2 < R3 against HepG2 cancer cells. Consecutively, the complexes show good antimicrobial activity against Gram positive bacteria, but show poor or no effect against Gram negative bacteria and exhibit a little antifungal activity.Â
