Nucleolytic Property Promoted by Biologically Active Metal-Based Complexes Formed by Neutral Quatridentate Ligands: Synthesis, Characterization, and DNA Binding Studies

Abstract

A series of Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) complexes have been synthesized and characterized with physicochemical and spectral techniques. Absorption titration study of the interaction of the complexes with calf-thymus (CT) DNA has shown that the complexes can bind to CT DNA. The cyclic voltammograms of all the complexes recorded in the presence of CT DNA-buffer solution have shown that they can bind to CT DNA via intercalation mode, which has also been verified by the viscosity experiments. The antimicrobial and DNA cleavage activities of all the compounds have also been investigated.

Keywords:

• antimicrobial activity
• DNA binding
• metal complexes
• nucleolytic property

Acknowledgments

The authors express their heartfelt thanks to the College Managing Board, Principal and Head of the Department of Chemistry, VHNSN College, for providing necessary research facilities. Instrumental facilities provided by Sophisticated Analytical Instrumention Facility (SAIF), IIT Bombay, for EPR spectra and CDRI, Lucknow, for mass spectra and CHN analyses are gratefully acknowledged.