Probing the interaction of anti-HIV drug Darunavir with dsDNA and HSA using electrochemical and spectroscopic measurements

Abstract

Investigation of electrochemical and spectroscopic characteristics of anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) drug provides important information related to the efficacy of the drug in relation with its interaction with several important biomolecules. In the present investigation we have developed an electrochemical and spectroscopic method for the detection of anti-HIV drug Darunavir (DRV) using the carbon paste as the working electrode. The analytical method has generated the detection limit of 1.86 µM (S/N = 3). The electrochemical investigations have also been carried out for the exploration of the interaction of DRV with double stranded deoxyribose nucleic acid DNA (dsDNA) and human serum albumin (HSA). Electrochemical investigations were supported from the spectroscopic measurements in evaluating the interaction. The results obtained from voltammetric and spectroscopic experiments shows strong interaction between the drug and the macromolecules. It has been observed that DRV forms strong complexes with HSA and dsDNA with the formation constants of 2.7 × 10⁴ and 4.2 × 10⁴ M⁻¹ respectively. The formation constants are varied with the pH of the solution, which leads to the assertion of the mechanism of the interaction between DRV and dsDNA.

Keywords:

• Drug-macro molecular interaction
• differential pulse voltammetry (DPV)
• protease inhibitors
• darunavir
• HSA
• dsDNA

Acknowledgements

Authors thank Bhabha Atomic Research Centre for fully funding the project. Authors also thank Prof. A. K. Tyagi, Director, Chemistry Group and Prof. C. N. Patra, Head, Analytical Chemistry Division for their encouragements and supports.

Data availability statement

The data have been generated for the present manuscript using the instruments and the technical facility as mentioned in the experimental section of the manuscript, which are plotted using Origin 8.1 software and placed in the manuscript. The data that support the finding will be made available on request to the corresponding author.

Scheme 1. The chemical structure of DRV