Anticancer and antimicrobial properties of imidazolium based ionic liquids with salicylate anion

Ionic liquids (ILs) are well known for their physicochemical properties that recommend them for many purposes. However, many ILs are not environmentally friendly. Bearing these facts in mind, a series of imidazoliumand salicylate-based ILs with low general toxicity were designed and their pharmacological potential studied. Herein, their antiproliferative effect against human cancer cell lines and antimicrobial activity on selected Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and Candida strains are presented. ILs with 1-butyl- -3-methylimidazolium or imidazolium cation (IL 1 and compound 5), with the lowest dipole moments and highest lipophilicity, exerted highest cytotoxicity against colon and/or lung cancer cells, manifesting high selectivity to the normal cells. The most non-polar IL with the 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium cation expressed the strongest anticancer potential, but it was also toxic against normal cells, although its cytotoxicity was less than the cytotoxic effect of commercially used chemotherapeutic agents. The same compounds, IL 1 and compound 5, expressed modest effect on the bacterial strain that causes serious lung diseases and pulmonary infections (Staphylococcus aureus) or which are included in colon cancer formation (Esherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis). Salicylate itself was toxic against lung cancer cell line A549 and affected some Candida strains.