TRANSITION METAL PIPERATES: SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES

Background: The chemistry and efficacy of metal complexes have been investigated extensively since the start of the 20th century, and various methods of synthesis have also been studied to prepare effective metal coordination complexes. Objectives: The current study was conducted to prepare metal complexes of Co(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) using piperic acid under reflux conditions and to assess their pharmacological activity. Methodology: The complexes were characterized by physical measurements, FTIR, UV/Visible, and atomic absorption spectroscopy. The pharmacological activities of the synthesized compounds were evaluated using in vitro antibacterial and alkaline phosphatase enzyme inhibition assays. Results: The spectroscopic analysis showed that the compounds were well prepared and spectra were clearly detected. Molar conductance by atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to assess the metal content in the complexes. Antibacterial activity was assessed using different bacterial strains of B. licheniformis, B. subtilis, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, S. aureus, P. mirabilis, and P. aeruginosa by the well diffusion method. The cobalt(II) and zinc(II) complexes showed very high activity against K. pneumoniae, P. mirabilis, and P. aeruginosa. Likewise, strong inhibitory activity of all synthesized metal complexes was observed against alkaline phosphatase (ALP), especially the Zn complex, which showed 90% inhibition. Again, the Zn(II) complex of piperic acid was found to be highly active against ALP. Conclusion: Complexes of Zn and Co piperates are promising candidates for further development as antibacterial and enzyme inhibitory agents. Metal complexes are a vital component of coordination chemistry.