Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of palladium(II) salicylaldiminato thiosemicarbazone complexes against Trichomonas vaginalis

Eight mononuclear Pd(II) complexes containing salicylaldiminato thiosemicarbazones (saltsc-R; where R = H (1), 3-OMe (2), 3-tBu (3) and 5-Cl (4)) as dinegative tridentate ligands were prepared by the reaction of the corresponding thiosemicarbazone with the precursor Pd(L)2Cl2 (L = phosphatriazaadamantane or 4-picoline) in the presence of a weak base. These complexes (9–16) were characterised by a range of spectroscopic and analytical techniques including NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. These complexes along with four other Pd(II) analogues (5–8) were screened for activity in vitro against the Trichomonas vaginalis parasite. Preliminary results show that the type of ancillary ligand as well as the substituents on the aromatic ring of the salicylaldiminato thiosemicarbazone ligand influences the antiparasitic activity of these complexes.