Abstract
Author(s): Israa A. Bachay*, Noor H. Naser
Background: Breast cancer is a disease where cells in the breast grow out of control, forming lumps. If these lumps are not treated, they can spread to other parts of the body. The disease often starts in the milk ducts or lobules. Early forms, called 'in situ', can be found and treated before they become life-threatening. Aim: evaluation the novel synthesize a series of 1,2,4-triazole-based metal complexes and evaluate their structural features and cytotoxic activity against breast cancer cells. Methodology: A multi-step synthetic route was employed starting from ethyl benzoate to obtain the triazole ligand (Compound III), which was subsequently complexed with various metal ions (Ni²?, Co²?, Cd²?, Cr³?, Zn²?) to afford complexes IVa–IVe. The compounds were characterized using FT-IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Cytotoxicity was assessed in vitro against MCF-7 (cancerous) and MCF-10a (non-tumorigenic) breast cell lines using MTT assay, with IC?? values determined from triplicate measurements. Results: Spectroscopic analysis confirmed the successful formation of the triazole core and its coordination with metal ions through nitrogen and sulfur atoms. Among the tested complexes, IVc (Cd²?) and IVe (Zn²?) exhibited the highest cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cells (IC?? = 28.45 ± 2.34 μM and 52.57 ± 4.72 μM, respectively) with significantly reduced toxicity toward MCF-10a cells, indicating selective anticancer activity. Conclusion: The results highlight the importance of metal coordination in enhancing the anticancer potential of triazole derivatives. Complexes IVc and IVe, in particular, show promise as lead compounds for further development in anticancer drug discovery.