Tri- and tetra-nuclear polypyridyl ruthenium(II) complexes as antimicrobial agents

Gorle, Anil K., Feterl, Marshall, Warner, Jeffrey M., Wallace, Lynne, Keene, F. Richard, and Collins, J. Grant (2014) Tri- and tetra-nuclear polypyridyl ruthenium(II) complexes as antimicrobial agents. Dalton Transactions, 43. pp. 16713-16725.

[img]
Preview
PDF (Publishef Version) - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.

Download (751kB) | Preview
View at Publisher Website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c4dt02139h
 
47
1159


Abstract

A series of inert tri- and tetra-nuclear polypyridylruthenium(II) complexes that are linked by the bis[4(4'- methyl-2,2'-bipyridyl)]-1,n-alkane ligand ("bbn" for n = 10, 12 and 16) have been synthesised and their potential as antimicrobial agents examined. Due to the modular nature of the synthesis of the oligonuclear complexes, it was possible to make both linear and non-linear tetra nuclear ruthenium species. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the ruthenium(II) complexes were determined against four strains of bacteria − Gram positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and Gram negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). In order to gain an understanding of the relative antimicrobial activities, the cellular uptake and water–octanol partition coefficients (log P) were determined for a selection of the ruthenium complexes. Although the trinuclear complexes were the most lipophilic based upon log P values and showed the greatest cellular uptake, the linear tetranuclear complexes were generally more active, with MIC values <1 μM against the Gram positive bacteria. Similarly, although the non-linear tetranuclear complexes were slightly more lipophilic and were taken up to a greater extent by the bacteria, they were consistently less active than their linear counterparts. Of particular note, the cellular accumulation of the oligonuclear ruthenium complexes was greater in the Gram negative strains compared to that in the Gram positive S. aureus and MRSA. The results demonstrate that the lower antimicrobial activity of polypyridylruthenium(II) complexes towards Gram negative bacteria, particularly P. aeruginosa, is not strongly correlated to the cellular accumulation but rather to a lower intrinsic ability to kill the Gram negative cells.

Item ID: 35519
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1477-9234
Keywords: antimicrobial; oligonuclear; polypyridylruthenium; cytotoxicity
Additional Information:

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.

Date Deposited: 02 Oct 2014 04:33
FoR Codes: 03 CHEMICAL SCIENCES > 0302 Inorganic Chemistry > 030201 Bioinorganic Chemistry @ 60%
11 MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES > 1108 Medical Microbiology > 110801 Medical Bacteriology @ 40%
SEO Codes: 97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970103 Expanding Knowledge in the Chemical Sciences @ 60%
97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970111 Expanding Knowledge in the Medical and Health Sciences @ 40%
Downloads: Total: 1159
Last 12 Months: 95
More Statistics

Actions (Repository Staff Only)

Item Control Page Item Control Page