Effective DNA binding and cleaving tendencies of malonic acid coupled transition metal complexes

• Synthesis of mixed ligand Knoevenagel condensate Schiff base metal complexes.
• Synthesis and characterization of excellent DNA intercalators.
• The synthesized complexes act as efficient antimicrobial agents.
• Superior activity of Cu(II) complexes incorporating 1,10-phenanthroline.

Eight transition metal complexes were designed to achieve maximum biological efficacy. They were characterized by elemental analysis and various other spectroscopic techniques. The monomeric complexes were found to espouse octahedral geometry and non-electrolytic nature. The DNA interaction propensity of the complexes with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA), studied at physiological pH by spectrophotometric, spectrofluorometric, cyclic voltammetry, and viscometric techniques revealed intercalation as the possible binding mode. Fascinatingly, the complexes were found to exhibit greater binding strength than that of the free ligands. A strong hypochromism and a slight red shift were exhibited by complex 5 among the other complexes. The intrinsic binding constant values of all the complexes compared to cisplatin reveal that they are excellent metallonucleases than that of cisplatin. The complexes were also shown to reveal displacement of the ethidium bromide, a strong intercalator using fluorescence titrations. Gel electrophoresis was used to divulge the competence of the complexes in cleaving the supercoiled pBR322 plasmid DNA. From the results, it is concluded that the complexes, especially 5, are excellent chemical nucleases in the presence of H2O2. Furthermore, the in vitro antimicrobial screening of the complexes exposes that these complexes are excellent antimicrobial agents. Overall the effect of coligands is evident from the results of all the investigations.

Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide