Ruthenium(II) dimethyl sulphoxide based complexes: A potent inducer of apoptosis

[Display omitted] •Ru-complexes investigated as a potential inducer of apoptosis.•Apoptosis induced activities are investigated in ovarian granulosa cells.•The study suggests anti-apoptotic and anti-cancerous activity of ruthenium complexes. Ruthenium (Ru) Dimethylsulphoxide complexes have appeared as a prominent compound among the potential metal-based drug for the cure of cancer. Cancer is marked with the uncontrolled proliferative activity that can be treated with apoptosis inducers. Therefore, in the present study the potentials of ruthenium complexes as an inducer of apoptosis evaluated through appropriate techniques. Two ruthenium (Ru) complexes of composition [Ru II(PyS)2(DMSO)2] (C1) and [RuII(mbtz)2(DMSO)2] (C2) with co-ligands (PySH: 2-mercatopyridine and mbtzH: 2- mercaptobenzothiazole) have been synthesized and examined for their apoptosis inducing activity in ovarian granulosa cells. The biological assays revealed that both the complexes induce various histomorphological, cytotoxic and genotoxic alterations characteristic of apoptosis, within granulosa cells of ovarian antral follicles. Thus suggesting the anti-apoptotic and anti-cancerous activity of ruthenium (Ru) based complexes within granulosa cells of ovarian antral follicles. To the best of our knowledge such studies are scare.