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Different Schiff base complexes have biological activities that make them suitable for drug design. The biological properties of tetradentate Schiff base copper(II) complexed with N,N′-bis(acetylacetone)propylenediimine have been studied. The cytotoxic activity towards Caco-2 cells were determined by MTT, Anexin V and PI apoptosis assays. N,N′-bis(acetylacetone)propylenediimine-copper(II) showed the anti-cancer and anti-proliferative properties by inducing apoptosis in Caco-2 cells. A comparison of the cytotoxic activity of this compound with cisplatin shows that it is more effective on the colorectal cancer cell line Caco-2. The binding capacity and interaction of N,N′-bis(acetylacetone)propylenediimine-copper(II) with HSA were systemically investigated by in vitro fluorescence spectroscopy, CD spectroscopy, and in silico molecular docking study. Furthermore, in vitro and in silico interaction studies indicated that the complex binds to HSA through a static quenching mechanism without changes in protein conformation. The calculated number of binding sites was in line with molecular docking studies. The obtained Ka value suggests that the compound can be released from the protein in target cells. The tetradentate Schiff base copper(II) complex exhibited in vitro biological activities against cancer epithelial cells, which depend on the molecular structure of the complex, causing apoptosis, and the complex can bind to the protein drug carrier in circulation to the target tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research subject of this paper was a detail physicochemical analysis of 28 honey samples from the northern part of Montenegro. The honey from Montenegro has not been previously studied in such detail. Differentiation between samples, such as honeydew honey and polyfloral honey, was based on electrical conductivity, which was higher than 0.8 mS cm -1 for honeydew honey, as was expected. Other investigated physicochemical parameters (water content, free acids, diastase activity, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content and sugar content) have shown great similarity for all honey samples. The main interest of this study was the identification and quantification of phenolic compounds using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) with mass spectrometry detection. The results show that honey samples are very rich in phenolic compounds, especially quercetin. Among the 31 quantified phenolic compounds, the most dominant were phenolic acids. The highlight was based on p -hydroxybenzoic acid, p -coumaric acid, caffeic acid and ferulic acid. Considering polyphenolic compounds and sugar content, a high nutritional value can be observed in all samples, with an emphasis on polyfloral honeys, as was confirmed with principal component analysis (PCA). In addition, all honey samples were tested for total phenolic content (TPC) and radical scavenging activity (RSA). The results indicate the higher antioxidant ability of honeys from Montenegro in comparison to some honey samples from other countries in the region., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)