Synthesis, Characterization and Analgesic Activity of Cadmium(II) Complex of Tolfenamic Acid

Abstract

Tolfenamic acid is a member of fenamate group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). It
is generally used to treat migraine. In recent studies, metal complexes of traditional drugs like, manganese(II)
complex of tolfenamic acid and mefenamic acid; cobalt(II) and zinc(II) complexes of tolfenamic acid are reported to
give better biological activities than their parent drugs. In this study, tolfenamic acid was complexed with a divalent
metal, cadmium(II) to form the drug-metal complex. The peripheral and central analgesic activities of this complex
were tested to find out the impact of complexation on the pharmacological activity of the drug. Cadmium nitrate
tetrahydrate was used for the complexation reaction and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic technique
was used to identify the drug-metal complexation. Writhing method and tail flick technique were used to test
peripheral and central analgesic activities, respectively in Swiss albino mice model. Comparison of the data obtained
for positive and negative controls with the drug metal complex revealed a statistically significant increase in
analgesic activities. Extensive experimentation is underway for further development in order to achieve better activity
and assess toxicity profiles.