Synthesis of Acyclovir Metal Complexes: Spectral, Electrochemical, Thermal, and DNA Binding Studies

Abstract

Mononuclear Cu(II), Zn(II), Pt(II), Fe(III), and Ru(III) complexes of acyclovir have been synthesized and characterized using analytical and spectral techniques, involving UV-Vis, FT-IR, mass, and ¹H-NMR. Electrochemical, magnetic, and thermal behavior of complexes have also been investigated. The biological activity of the complexes has been evaluated by examining their ability to bind to calf-thymus DNA (CT DNA) with UV spectroscopy. UV studies of the interaction of the complexes with DNA have shown that these compounds can bind to CT DNA. The binding constants of the acyclovir and its complexes with CT DNA have also been calculated. The synthesized complexes have been tested for their antimicrobial activity using the agar-disc diffusion method in terms of minimum inhibitory concentration. The cytotoxicity activities of complexes have been investigated against the BHV-1 (bovine herpes virus type-1).

Keywords:

• acyclovir
• metal-based drugs

Additional information

Funding

The authors wish to thank TUBITAK (Project No: 109T020 under the COST D39 action), KSU (Project No: 2010/5–16) for the financial supports and Prof. Dr. Metin Dıgrak (Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Letters, University of Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam, Campuse of Avsar 46100, Kahramanmaras, Turkey) for antimicrobial studies and Prof. Dr. Taner Karaoğlu (Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary, Ankara University, 06110 Ankara, Turkey) for antiviral and cytotoxicity studies and Mustafa Cesme (PhD), Harun Muslu (PhD), and Derya Tarınc (PhD) for their technical assistance.