Abstract
Curcumin-Fe(III) complex was prepared from Fe(NO3)(3)center dot 9H(2)O precursor and curcumin by refluxing a slightly basic methanolic solution of their mixture with the objective of investigating its cytotoxicity. The enol form of curcumin ligand was established by FTIR, UV/Vis, (HNMR)-H-1, and C-13 NMR spectroscopy. The as-prepared product was characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR, UV, and Mossbauer spectroscopic techniques. An octahedral high-spin Fe(III) complex was obtained, delta, 0.37 mms(-1); Q.S., 0.79 mms(-1); no magnetic relaxation was observed at liquid N-2 temperature, neither reduction of Fe(III). The tested cytotoxicity of the as-prepared complex on four cancer cell lines indicated inhibition of the curcumin activity upon complexing with iron.