Combining anti-cancer drugs with artificial sweeteners: synthesis and anti-cancer activity of saccharinate (sac) and thiosaccharinate (tsac) complexes cis-[Pt(sac)2(NH3)2] and cis-[Pt(tsac)2(NH3)2].

Abstract The new platinum(II) complexes cis -[Pt(sac) 2 (NH 3 ) 2 ] (sac = saccharinate) and cis -[Pt(tsac) 2 (NH 3 ) 2 ] (tsac = thiosaccharinate) have been prepared, the X-ray crystal structure of cis -[Pt(sac) 2 (NH 3 ) 2 ].H 2 O reveals that both saccharinate anions are N-bound in a cis -arrangement being inequivalent in both the solid-state and in solution at room temperature. Preliminary anti-cancer activity has been assessed against A549 human alveolar type-II like cell lines with the thiosaccharinate complex showing good activity.