Cyclopalladated compounds as chemotherapeutic agents: Antitumor activity against a murine melanoma cell line

Palladacycle compounds obtained from N, N‐dimethyl‐1‐phenethylamine (dmpa), phenyl‐2‐pyridinyl‐acetylene and 1‐phenyl‐3‐N, N‐dimethylamine‐propine, respectively, were complexed to 1, 2 ethanebis (diphenylphosphine) (dppe) ligand to synthesize antitumor cyclopalladated complexes that were tested in vitro and in vivo against syngeneic B16F10‐Nex2 murine melanoma cells of low immunogenicity implanted subcutaneously in mice. Complexes were not toxic to mice injected 3 times i.p. with as much as 60 μM/animal/week. Of 3 cyclopalladated complexes that were inhibitory in vitro at low concentrations (