Anthracycline anticancer drugs as effective ligands for terbium(III) ions

Abstract

Spectroscopic measurements were carried out for terbium(III) complexes with the anthracycline anticancer drugs doxorubicin, aclarubicin, carminomycin and their simple model quinizarin-2-sulfonic acid (9,10-dihydro-1,4-dihydroxy-9,10-dioxoanthracene-2-sulfonic acid). Potentiometric titrations were carried out for the doxorubicin-, aclarubicin- and quinizarin-2-sulfonic acid-containing systems. Both stability constants and CD spectra indicate that interligand interactions stabilise the 1:2 metal-to-ligand complexes formed.