Experimental and theoretical investigations of novel oxidovanadium(IV) juglone complex: DNA/HSA interaction and cytotoxic activity

Abstract

A new oxidovanadium(IV) complex VO(L)(Jug) (HL = 5-methoxy-1,3-bis (1-methyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)benzene, Jug = juglone) was synthesized and characterized. Interactions of the V(IV) complex with calf thymus DNA (CT DNA) and human serum albumin were studied using different techniques such as UV–vis and fluorescence emission spectroscopy. The experimental results were confirmed by the molecular docking study. The oxidovanadium(IV) complex can efficiently cleave pUC19 DNA in the presence of Hydrogen peroxide. Also, the in vitro cytotoxicity properties of the oxidovanadium(IV) complex was evaluated against MCF-7, HPG-2 and HT-29 cancer cell lines and HEK293 non-malignant fibroblasts were evaluated and compared with free ligands, VOSO₄ and cisplatin as reference drugs.

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Oxidovanadium(IV)
• complex
• juglone
• DNA/HSA binding
• cytotoxicity
• molecular docking

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank from the Ardakan University for financial support. Also the authors acknowledge general support from the School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland (NUI), Galway.

Author contributions

The manuscript was written through the contributions of all authors. All authors have given approval to the final version of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.