Antitumor activity of Vanadium

Various vanadium complexes are effective for antitumor activity; bis(cyclopentadienyl)-cis-dichlorovanadium(IV) and peroxovanadated(V) are the most active [48, 49]. Dioxovanadium(V) complexes of the type [VO2(X-sal-tsc)] [where H2X-sal-tsc = Schiff base derived from salicylaldehyde, 5-bromosalicylaldehyde, 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde and semicarbazide, N4-n-butylsemicarbazide and N4-(2-naphthyl)semicarbazide] exhibit selective cytotoxicity on TK-10 human tumor cell lines. A significant effect on the antitumor activity of the vanadium complexes by structural modifications on the semicarbazone moiety has been indicated [50]. Peroxovanadates(V) with or without organic ligands also exhibit antitumor activity. The active roles of hetero ligands in modifying the antitumor and toxicity of peroxovanadium(V) have also been indicated. A the set of 14 oxoperovanadium(V) complexes of the types (NH4)4[O{VO(O2)2}2], M3[VO(O2)2(C2O4)] and M[VO(O2)L] (L = malate, citrate, iminodiacetate, nitrilotriacetate and ethylenedianinetetraacetate) has been tested for the toxicity and antitumor activity against L1210 murine leukemia to examine the biological properties. Study shows that these complexes increase the life span by about 25 % [51].