ANTI-PROLIFERATIVE EFFECTS OF CU(PHEN)(C-DIMETHYLGLYCINE)NO3 ON HT-29 AND A2780 CANCER CELL LINES: A POTENTIAL CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC APPROACH

NURFARAHDILLA ZAINUDIN; NG CHIN THENG; FONG LAI YEN; YONG YOKE KEONG; MUHAMMAD NAZRUL HAKIM; ZURAINI AHMAD

doi:10.22159/ajpcr.2025v18i6.54576

Authors

NURFARAHDILLA ZAINUDIN Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3363-7127
NG CHIN THENG Department of Physiology, Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology, Kedah, Malaysia
FONG LAI YEN Department of Pre-clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7912-6746
YONG YOKE KEONG Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9442-7456
MUHAMMAD NAZRUL HAKIM Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4710-3467
ZURAINI AHMAD Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2025v18i6.54576

Keywords:

Copper(II) Complex, Anti-Proliferative Activity, Cancer Cell Lines, IC50, Apoptosis Assay

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro anti-proliferative properties of Cu(Phen)(C-dimethylglycine)NO₃ on human cancer cell lines. Specifically, the study investigated its effects on the proliferation of colorectal carcinoma (HT-29) and ovarian carcinoma (A2780) cells, determined the IC₅₀ values, measured caspase-9 activity, and assessed the degree of DNA fragmentation.

Methods: The anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of standardized Cu(phen)(C-dimethylglycine)NO₃ were evaluated at varying concentrations (1, 2, 5, 10, 15, and 20 µM) over 24, 48, and 72 hours. Cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay, while caspase-9 activity was measured using fluorometric assay kits and a fluorophotometer. DNA fragmentation was analyzed using the Cell Death Detection ELISA Plus kit.

Results: The results demonstrated a time- and concentration-dependent reduction in cell viability for both cell lines. Notably, A2780 cells exhibited a lower IC₅₀ (1.76 ± 0.406 µM at 72 hours) compared to HT-29 cells (7.03 ± 0.635 µM), indicating greater sensitivity. However, the compound did not significantly alter caspase-9 expression nor induce DNA fragmentation when compared to the control.

Conclusion: Cu(phen)(C-dimethylglycine)NO₃exerts a significant anti-proliferative effect without triggering apoptosis, suggesting a non-apoptotic mechanism of cytotoxicity that warrants further investigation.

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Author Biography

FONG LAI YEN, Department of Pre-clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.

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