Cytotoxic Activity of Salicylic Acid-Containing Drug Models with Ionic and Covalent Binding

Three
different types of drug delivery platforms based on imidazolium ionic
liquids (ILs) were synthesized in high preparative yields, namely,
the models involving (i) ionic binding of drug and IL; (ii) covalent
binding of drug and IL; and (iii) dual binding using both ionic and
covalent approaches. Seven ionic liquids containing salicylic acid
(SA-ILs) in the cation or/and in the anion were prepared, and their
cytotoxicity toward the human cell lines CaCo-2 (colorectal adenocarcinoma)
and 3215 LS (normal fibroblasts) was evaluated. Cytotoxicity of SA-ILs
was significantly higher than that of conventional imidazolium-based
ILs and was comparable to the pure salicylic acid. It is important
to note that the obtained SA-ILs dissolved in water more readily than
salicylic acid, suggesting benefits of possible usage of traditional
nonsoluble active pharmaceutical ingredients in an ionic liquid form.