Bio-inspired nickel nanoparticles of pyrimidine-Schiff base: In vitro anticancer, BSA and DNA interactions, molecular docking and antioxidant studies

Abstract

In this work, interactions of pyrimidine derivative Schiff base ligand (DMPMM) were studied and its stabilized powder nickel nanoparticles (DMPMM-NiNPs) were synthesized and various biological studies were evaluated. DNA binding studies of CT-DNA with prepared compounds in Tris-HCl/NaCl buffer were carried out by traditional UV-Visible and fluorescence spectroscopic methods, viscosity measurements and cyclic voltammetry. Results showed that the small scale of DMPMM had less activity to interact with biological systems and when it assembled on nickel nanoparticles surface the activity increased. Thermal denaturation and sonochemical denaturation studies of DNA with the presence and the absence of our compounds also were done by UV-Visible spectroscopic method and its results indicated that the synthesized compounds increased the denaturation temperature. BSA binding studies of synthesized compounds were done by UV-Visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. Molecular docking of prepared ligand and its nanoparticles with biomolecules (DNA and BSA) were studied. Antimicrobial studies of the DMPMM and DMPMM-NiNPs were carried out by Agar-Agar well diffusion method. Anticancer studies results evidenced that the synthesized DMPMM-NiNPs had good selectivity to control the growth of cancer cells without damaging the normal cells. Various antioxidant scavenging studies results have shown that DMPMM and DMPMM-NiNPs have significant antioxidant activity.

Highlights

• Stable and solid nickel nanoparticles were prepared.

• The size of the prepared nickel nanoparticles was nearly 3 to 8 nm.

• Organic ligand capped nickel nanoparticles interacted with DNA and BSA.

• Ni nanoparticles increased the denaturation temperature of DNA.

• It was found to have good anticancer activity with fewer side effects than cisplatin.

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Keywords:

• Nickel nanoparticles
• molecular
• docking
• BSA interaction
• anticancer
• DNA interaction

Acknowledgements

The authors express their sincere and heartfelt thanks to Managing Board, Principal, Head and staff members, The American College, Madurai for providing the research facilities and their constant encouragements.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publications of this paper.

Additional information

Funding

The authors express their sincere thanks to Department of Science and Technology (DST)-Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB Ref. No.: SR/FT/CS-117/2011 dated 29.06.2012) Government of India, New Delhi for the financial support.