Preparation of low-molecular-weight chitosan derivative zinc complexes and their effect on the growth of liver cancer cells in vitro

Wang, Rong-Min; He, Nai-Pu; Song, Peng-Fei; He, Yu-Feng; Ding, Lan; Lei, Ziqiang

doi:10.1351/PAC-CON-08-11-15

Pure Appl. Chem., 2009, Vol. 81, No. 12, pp. 2397-2405

http://dx.doi.org/10.1351/PAC-CON-08-11-15

Published online 2009-11-18

Preparation of low-molecular-weight chitosan derivative zinc complexes and their effect on the growth of liver cancer cells in vitro

Rong-Min Wang¹*, Nai-Pu He¹, Peng-Fei Song¹, Yu-Feng He¹, Lan Ding² and Ziqiang Lei¹

¹ Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, Institute of Polymer, Lanzhou 730070, China
² Department of Biology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China

Abstract: Low-molecular-weight (LMW) chitosan salicylaldehyde Schiff-base and its zinc(II) complexes were synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectra, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), gel permeation chromatography-multiangle laser light scattering (GPC-MALLS), and elemental analysis. The results of electrophoretic analysis suggest that the Zn complexes bound to DNA by means of electrostatic interactions and intercalation. The effect of the Zn complexes on the growth of SMMC-7721 liver cancer cells was investigated by sulforhodamine B assay in vitro. The results reveal that the growth of liver cancer cells was inhibited by LMW-chitosan and their Zn complexes. The inhibition rate of the Zn complexes was higher than that of LMW-chitosan ligand. The LMW-chitosan Schiff-base Zn complex exhibited higher anticancer activity than the LMW-chitosan Zn complex. Combining LMW-chitosan with Schiff-base and Zn improved its anticancer activity, which we ascribe to the synergistic effect between the chitosan matrix and the planar construction of the Zn complexes.