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Considering that oxidative stress is strongly implicated in the toxicity of chemotherapy, much effort is focused on the research of diverse antioxidants as protective agents. An efficient synthesis of three novel benzophenones containing 1,3-thiazol moiety (6a-c) is described. Their antioxidant power was evaluated in vitro and in three cell lines (the cancerous MCF7 and the non-cancerous hTERT-HME1 mammary cells, and the H9c2 cardiomyoblastic cells). One analogue 5-(2,5-dihydroxybenzoyl)-2(3H)-benzothiazolone (6c), displayed an important antioxidant activity, a low cytotoxicity, and could decrease reactive oxygen species production generated by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP) in all three cell lines. Interestingly, 6c was able to protect the non-cancerous cells against tBHP-induced death. Further studies are underway to determine its relevance as an adjuvant in oxidative stress inducing chemotherapy.

Complexes of cerium (III) with bis-coumarins: 3,3'-benzylidene-bis(4-hydroxy-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one) and bis(4-hydroxy-2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-yl)-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl)-methane were synthesized by reaction of cerium (III) salt and the ligands, in amounts equal to metal/ligand molar ratio of 1:2. The complexes were prepared by adding an aqueous solution of cerium (III) salt to an aqueous solution of the ligand subsequently raising the pH of the mixture gradually to ca. 5.0 by adding dilute solution of sodium hydroxide. The cerium (III) complexes with bis-coumarins were characterized by different physicochemical methods--elemental analysis, IR-, 1H- and 13C-NMR-spectroscopies and mass-spectral data. The spectral data of cerium (III) complexes were interpreted on the basis of comparison with the spectra of the free ligands. This analysis showed that in the Ce (III) complexes the ligands coordinated to the metal ion through both deprotonated hydroxyl groups. On the basis of the nu(C=O) red shift observed, participation of the carbonyl groups in the coordination to the metal ion was also suggested. Cytotoxic screening by MTT assay was carried out. In the present study we performed comparative evaluation of the cytotoxic effects of the two newly synthesized cerium complexes against the acute myeloid leukemia derived HL-60 and the chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)-derived BV-173. In addition the cytotoxic effects of Ce (III) complex with 3,3'-benzylidene-bis(4-hydroxy-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one) were evaluated on the CML-derived K-562 and LAMA-84 cells, characterized by relative low responsiveness to chemotherapy. The DNA isolated from the cytosolic fraction of BV-173 cells after 24 h treatment with the same complex (at 100 and 200 microM) demonstrated a laddering phenomenon that is indicative for apoptotic cell death.