DNA binding, antibacterial, hemolytic and anticancer studies of some fluorescent emissive surfactant-ruthenium(II) complexes

Abstract

Designing the effective metallodrugs with amphiphilic nature is an active approach for the biomedical applications such as chemotheraphy, bioimaging, drug carrier, etc. To elaborate this, some fluorescent emissive surfactant–ruthenium(II) complexes and its precursor ruthenium(II) complexes have been interacted with calf thymus DNA (CT–DNA) for understanding the biophysical impacts of head and tail parts of the metallosurfactants. Here, DNA binding studies were examined by UV–visible absorption, fluorescence, circular dichroism and viscosity measurements. The obtained results showed that surfactant–ruthenium(II) complexes effectively bind with CT–DNA through hydrophobic interactions dominated moderate intercalation, whereas precursor ruthenium(II) complexes interact CT–DNA through electrostatic interactions dominated moderate intercalation. Also, increase of hydrophobic alkyl amine chain length as well as size of the head group in surfactant–ruthenium(II) complexes increased the binding affinity with CT–DNA, in which tail group played a dominant role. Further investigations of antibacterial, hemolytic and anticancer activities showed that desired biological activities could be obtained by tuning the head and tail groups of the metallodrugs in near future.

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Keywords:

• Surfactant–ruthenium(II) complexes
• amphiphilic head and tail effect
• DNA binding
• electrostatic and hydrophobic interaction
• mild and moderate intercalation
• antibacterial
• hemolytic and anticancer activities

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Dr. S. Nehru acknowledges DST-SERB (EEQ/2018/001402) and DST-PURSE(II) Starter grant by University of Madras for providing financial support. Dr. S. Veeralakshmi thank DST-Women Scientist Scheme-A (SR/WOS-A/CS-40/2018 (G)) for sanctioning financial grant.