Transition metal complexes of benzimidazole-based ligands: Synthesis, characterization, biological, and catecholase activities

[Display omitted] •Synthesis, experimental spectral characterization of synthesized metal complexes.•Evaluation of antifungal activity and DNA binding.•Evaluation of the catecholase activity of active metal complexes.•The antioxidant and molecular docking study. Heterocyclic ligands 5a and 5b and their metal complexes (1–10) and (11–20) respectively, were synthesized and characterized by mass spectrometry, FT-IR, ESR, 1H, 13C NMR and UV–visible spectroscopy. In vitro antifungal activity of the heterocyclic analogs 5a, 5b and metal complexes (1–20) was evaluated against the fungal strains: Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, and Candida tropicalis., The results showed that Fe(III) 2 and Co(II) complex 13 display considerable antifungal activity with MIC values of 350, 375 and 435 μg/mL and 450, 455, and 455 μg/mL against C. albicans, C. glabrata, and C. tropicalis, respectively. Promising 5a, 5b, Fe(III) 2, and Co(II) complex 13 show groove binding mode with Ct-DNA, which has been confirmed by several techniques, including UV–visible, fluorescence spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. PDB ID: 1BNA was used for the molecular docking investigation of the heterocyclic analogs 5a and 5b. The active Fe(III) complex 2 and Co(II) complex 13 are effectively catalyzed for the oxidation of catechol in acetonitrile to its corresponding quinone with turnover number 5.44 × 104 and 9.78 × 104 h−1, respectively with first order that follow Michaelis-Menten enzymatic kinetics. The pharmacokinetics properties of the all compounds showed good oral bioavailability. Antioxidant potential of ligands 5a, 5b, Fe(III) 2 and Co(II) complex 13 was further approximated through DPPH free radical and H2O2 with remarkable antioxidant activity.