Probing the binding sites and the effect of berbamine on the structure of bovine serum albumin

Berbamine, a naturally occurring isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from Berberis sp., is the active constituent of some Chinese herbal medicines and exhibits a variety of pharmacological activities. The effects of berbamine on the structure of bovine serum albumin (BSA) were investigated by circular dichroism, fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy under physiological conditions. Berbamine caused a static quenching of the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA, and the quenching data were analyzed by application of the Stern–Volmer equation. There was a single primary berbamine-binding site on BSA with a binding constant of 2.577 × 104 L mol−1 at 298 K. The thermodynamic parameters, enthalpy change (ΔH0) and entropy change (ΔS0) for the reaction were −76.5 kJ mol−1 and −173.4 J mol−1 K−1 according to the van’t Hoff equation. The results showed that the hydrogen bond and van der Waals interaction were the predominant forces in the binding process. Competitive experiments revealed a displacement of warfarin by berbamine, indicating that the binding site was located at Drug sites I. The distance r between the donor (BSA) and the acceptor (berbamine) was obtained according to the Förster non-radiation energy transfer theory. The results of three-dimensional fluorescence spectra, UV–vis absorption difference spectra and circular dichroism of BSA in the presence of berbamine showed that the conformation of BSA was changed. The results provide a quantitative understanding of the effect of berbamine on the structure of bovine serum albumin, providing a useful guideline for further drug design.