In vitro photodynamic therapy evaluation of novel silicon(IV) phthalocyanines against endometrial cancer
Journal of Molecular Structure, vol.1373, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 1373
- Publication Date: 2026
- Doi Number: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2026.146740
- Journal Name: Journal of Molecular Structure
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Compendex, INSPEC, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO)
- Keywords: Endometrial cancer, HEC-1B, Photodynamic therapy, Phototoxicity, Phthalocyanines
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
In this work, quinoline-substituted silicon(IV) phthalocyanine (8K-C3-H-Si) and its quaternized derivative (8K-C3-H-SiQ) were successfully synthesized and structurally characterized using FT-IR, NMR (1H and 13C), UV–Vis, and mass spectroscopy (MS). Their photochemical properties, specifically singlet oxygen and photodegradation quantum yields, were evaluated. The in vitro biological efficacy was assessed via MTT assay against the HEC-1B human endometrial cancer cell line over 24, 48, and 72 h. Furthermore, the compound with the highest phototoxic activity was analyzed for apoptosis and necrosis by flow cytometry to elucidate the mode of cell death. The singlet oxygen yields were determined to be 0.116 ± 0.019 for 8K-C3-H-Si and 0.088 ± 0.009 for 8K-C3-H-SiQ, while their photodegradation quantum yields were found to be consistent with the literature. Biological evaluations revealed that 8K-C3-H-Si exhibited significant phototoxic effects at 1 µM, whereas 8K-C3-H-SiQ showed marked phototoxicity at 0.1 and 1 µM across all time points. Apoptosis/necrosis analysis revealed that 8K-C3-H-SiQ primarily induces late apoptosis and necrosis at 0.1 µM. These findings indicate that 8K-C3-H-SiQ has the potential to be a promising photosensitizer for targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT) in endometrial cancer.