Study on the interaction between antibacterial drug and bovine serum albumin: A spectroscopic approach

The binding of sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) to bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by spectroscopic methods viz., fluorescence, FT-IR and UV–vis absorption techniques. The binding parameters have been evaluated by fluorescence quenching method. The thermodynamic parameters, ΔH°, ΔS°and ΔG° were observed to be −58.0 kJ mol⁻¹, −111 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹ and −24 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively. These indicated that the hydrogen bonding and weak van der Waals forces played a major role in the interaction. Based on the Forster's theory of non-radiation energy transfer, the binding average distance, r, between the donor (BSA) and acceptor (SMZ) was evaluated and found to be 4.12 nm. Spectral results showed the binding of SMZ to BSA induced conformational changes in BSA. The effect of common ions and some of the polymers used in drug delivery for control release was also tested on the binding of SMZ to BSA. The effect of common ions revealed that there is adverse effect on the binding of SMZ to BSA.     

Spectrophotometric studies of the thermodynamics of sitting-atop complexation between free base meso-tetraarylporphyrins and titanium(IV) chloride

Titanium(IV) chloride reacts with free base meso-tetraarylporphyrin and its ortho, meta and para-substituted derivatives (H₂T(X)PP; X: OCH₃, CH₃ and Cl) for formation of sitting-atop (SAT) complexes, [TiCl₄(H₂T(X)PP)]. The computer fitting of the variation of the absorbance versus mole ratio by KINFIT program was used for calculation of the formation constants of these complexes in chloroform. Thermodynamic parameters, ΔG°, ΔH°, ΔS°, have been determined and the influence of the temperature and the substituted aryl groups (electronic and steric effects) in the free base porphyrins on the stability of the SAT complexes was studied.     

Biosorption of nickel from aqueous solutions by Acacia leucocephala bark: Kinetics and equilibrium studies

The biosorption of nickel(II) ions from aqueous solution by Acacia leucocephala bark was studied in a batch adsorption system as a function of pH, initial metal ion concentration, adsorbent dosage, contact time and temperature. The maximum Ni(II) adsorption was obtained at pH 5. Further, the biosorbents were characterized by Fourier Transformer Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The experimental data were analysed using three sorption kinetic models viz., the pseudo-first- and second-order equations and the intraparticle diffusion model. Results show that the pseudo-second-order equation provides the best correlation for the biosorption process. The equilibrium nature of Ni(II) adsorption at different temperatures of 30, 40 and 50 °C have been described by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The equilibrium data fit well Langmuir isotherm. The monolayer adsorption capacity of A. leucocephala bark as obtained from Langmuir isotherm at 30 °C was found to be 294.1 mg/g. The Chi-square (χ²) and Sum of the square errors (SSE) tests were also carried out to find the best fit adsorption isotherm and kinetic model. Isotherms have been used to determine thermodynamic parameters of the process, viz., free energy change (ΔG°), enthalpy change (ΔH°), and entropy change (ΔS°) were calculated indicating that this system was a spontaneous and endothermic process. Present investigation emphasized that A. leucocephala bark may be utilized as a low cost adsorbent for nickel removal.     

A spectrophotometric and thermodynamic study of the sitting-atop complex formation from reaction between free base meso-tetraarylporphyrins and zirconyl nitrate in chloroform solution

The sitting-atop complexation of meso-tetraarylporphyrins and its para-substituted derivatives (H₂t(4-X)pp, X:H, Br, Cl, CH(CH₃)₂, OCH₃, CH₃), as electron donors, with zirconyl, as an electron acceptor, have been investigated spectrophotometrically in chloroform. The mole ratio studies based on physicochemical techniques were employed clearly and revealed the formation of 1:1 sitting-atop complexes which was confirmed by UV–vis, ¹H NMR and IR spectroscopic data. The value of the formation constant was estimated for each complex using a nonlinear optimization of the complex absorbance vs. mole ratio data by package KINFIT. The results showed that the stability of these complexes decreases with the temperature enhancement. Thermodynamic parameters, ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS°, of the SAT complexes have been determined from the temperature dependence of formation constants by Van’t Hoff equation. Also, the influence of the substituents of the aryl rings in H₂t(4-X)pp on the stability of the SAT complexes is discussed.     

Equilibrium, kinetics and thermodynamic aspects of Promethazine hydrochloride sorption by iron rich smectite

Equilibrium, kinetics and thermodynamic aspects of sorption of Promethazine hydrochloride (PHCl) onto iron rich smectite (IRS) from aqueous solution were investigated. The effect of pH on sorption of PHCl onto IRS was also found out. Experimental data were evaluated by using Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin–Raduschkevich (DR) isotherm equations. Freundlich and DR equations provided better compatibility than Langmuir equation. Besides, it was determined that the maximum sorption of PHCl takes place at about pH 5. From kinetic studies, it was obtained that sorption kinetics follow pseudo-second-order kinetic model for PHCl sorption onto IRS. When thermodynamic studies are concerned, the values of activation energy (E_a), ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS° were obtained. ΔG° values are in the range of −8.84 and −9.45 kJ mol⁻¹ indicating spontaneous nature of physisorption. The negative value of the ΔH° (−3.20 kJ mol⁻¹) indicates exothermic nature of adsorption. FTIR analysis and SEM observations of IRS and PHCl adsorbed IRS were also carried out. Sorption experiments indicate that IRS may be used effectively for the adsorption of PHCl.     

Synthesis and investigation on the interaction with calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid of a novel fluorescent probe 7-oxobenzo[b][1,10]phenanthroline-12(7H)-sulfonic acid

In this paper, the synthetic route of a potential antitumor reagent, benzo[b][1,10] phenanthrolin-7(12H)-one (BPO), was improved. A sulfonic group was introduced to BPO to form a new compound, 7-oxobenzo[b][1,10]phenan-throline-12(7H)-sulfonic acid (OPSA), in order to enhance its water-solubility. The molecular structure of OPSA has been confirmed by IR, UV, MS, ¹H NMR and elements analysis. It was proved in our experiments that DNA could quench the fluorescence of OPSA and the maximum quenched intensity appeared at 408 nm (λ_ex = 284 nm). The quenched fluorescence intensity was proportional to the concentration of DNA. Based on this phenomenon, OPSA had been used as the fluorescent probe for detection of calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) and the corresponding linear response range was from 1.0 to 150.0 μg mL⁻¹ and the limit of detection (LOD) was 3.8 ng mL⁻¹. Its interaction with ct-DNA was investigated by fluorescence, absorption and viscosity measurements. When binding to ct-DNA, OPSA showed obvious fluorescence quenching and the quenched intensity was stable with the presence and absence of NaCl. The absorption spectra of OPSA had no evidence of increasing or decreasing when ct-DNA was added. The viscosity of OPSA and ct-DNA mixture showed no obvious change comparing with the viscosity of ct-DNA along. The results suggested that the interaction between OPSA and ct-DNA was groove binding in nature. Scatchard plots constructed from fluorescence titration data gave a binding constant of 8.9 × 10⁵ L mol⁻¹ and a binding site size of 0.35 base pairs per bound drug molecule.     

Studies on the interaction of diacetylcurcumin with calf thymus-DNA

Ongoing research on curcumin and its structural derivatives are a subject of growing interest because of their demonstrated biological properties. Diacetylcurcumin (DAC), a synthetic derivative of natural non-toxic curcumin has been shown to affect a host of activities ranging from wound healing to life threatening diseases like AIDS, cancer etc. The interaction of diacetylcurcumin (DAC) with calf thymus-DNA (ct-DNA) has been investigated by spectroscopic and viscometric techniques. The fluorescence intensity of DAC was quenched by ct-DNA. The mean binding constant obtained from the spectroscopic techniques was 3.97 ± 0.31 × 10⁵ M⁻¹. Circular dichroism studies did not reveal any unwinding of the DNA helix on interaction with DAC, implying no conformational changes. The binding mode was analyzed by competitive binding between ethidium bromide (EB) and DAC for ct-DNA and also by viscometric studies. DAC was found to be a minor groove binder with a preference for the A-T region compared to the G-C region. This was substantiated by displacement studies with Hoechst 33258, a known minor groove binder. Docking studies were found to corroborate the experimental results.     

Adsorption mechanism of Cu from aqueous solution by chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles modified with α-ketoglutaric acid

In order to better understand the adsorption mechanism of chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles modified with α-ketoglutaric acid (α-KA-CCMNPs), the removal of Cu²⁺ by α-KA-CCMNPs from aqueous solution was investigated in a batch system at 18, 35 and 50 °C. Different experimental approaches were applied to show mechanistic aspects, such as adsorption isotherms, kinetics and thermodynamics studies. Adsorption equilibrium studies showed that Cu²⁺ adsorption followed Langmuir model. The kinetics of the interactions was best described by pseudo-second-order mechanism. The thermodynamic parameters (ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS°) analysis predicted that the adsorption process was strongly dependent on temperature of medium, and spontaneous and endothermic process. The XPS combined with FT-IR spectra revealed that N atom of –NH– group and O atom of carboxyl group in α-KA-CCMNPs coordinated with Cu²⁺. Experimental results from this study provide data that would be required if this heavy metal adsorption system was to be “scaled up” for industrial application.     

Isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic studies of lead and copper uptake by H2SO4 modified chitosan

The kinetic and thermodynamic adsorption and adsorption isotherms of Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions onto H₂SO₄ modified chitosan were studied in a batch adsorption system. The experimental results were fitted using Freundlich, Langmuir and Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherms; the Langmuir isotherm showed the best conformity to the equilibrium data. The pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order and intraparticle diffusion kinetic models were employed to analyze the kinetic data. The adsorption behavior of Pb(II) and Cu(II) was best described by the pseudo-second order model. Thermodynamic parameters such as free energy change (ΔG°), enthalpy change (ΔH°) and entropy change (ΔS°) were determined; the adsorption process was found to be both spontaneous and exothermic. No physical damage to the adsorbents was observed after three cycles of adsorption/desorption using EDTA and HCl as eluents. The mechanistic pathway of the Pb(II) and Cu(II) uptake was examined by means of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The equilibrium parameter (R_L) indicated that chitosan–H₂SO₄ was favorable for Pb(II) and Cu(II) adsorption.     

Micellization behavior of [C16-12-C16], 2Br gemini surfactant in binary aqueous-solvent mixtures

The micellization behavior of bis cationic gemini surfactant, N,N′-dihexadecyl-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-1,12-dodecanediammonium dibromide [C₁₆H₃₃N⁺(CH₃)₂-(CH₂)₁₂-N⁺(CH₃)₂C₁₆H₃₃, 2Br⁻] has been studied in binary aqueous mixtures of dimethyl sulfoxide, methanol, 1,4-dioxane, glycerol and ethylene glycol by conductivity and surface tension measurements at 300 K. The critical micellar concentration, degree of micelle ionization (α), surface excess concentration (Г_max), minimum surface area per molecule of surfactant (A_min), Gibbs free energy of micellization (ΔG_m°), the surface pressure at cmc (π_cmc), and the Gibbs energy of adsorption (ΔG_ad°) of the gemini surfactant have also been determined. The cmc, α, A_min increases where as (ΔG_m°), Г_max, and π_cmc decreases with increasing volume percentage of the solvents in the solvent–water binary mixture. The interfacial properties of the gemini surfactant, solute–solute, solvent–solute interactions and the effectiveness of a surface-active molecule in binary solvent systems have been discussed.     

Dinitrogen and carbon monoxide hydrogen bonding in protonic zeolites: Studies from variable-temperature infrared spectroscopy

Adsorption (at a low temperature) of nitrogen on the protonic zeolite H-Y results in hydrogen bonding of the adsorbed N₂ molecules with the zeolite Si(OH)Al Brønsted-acid groups. This hydrogen-bonding interaction leads to activation, in the infrared, of the fundamental N–N stretching mode, which appears at 2334 cm⁻¹. From infrared spectra taken over a temperature range, the standard enthalpy of formation of the OH···N₂ complex was found to be ΔH⁰ = −15.7(±1) kJ mol⁻¹. Similarly, variable-temperature infrared spectroscopy was used to determine the standard enthalpy change involved in formation of H-bonded CO complexes for CO adsorbed on the zeolites H-ZSM-5 and H-FER; the corresponding values of ΔH⁰ were found to be −29.4(±1) and −28.4(±1) kJ mol⁻¹, respectively. The whole set of results was analysed in the context of other relevant data available in the literature.     

Tetrameric O–HO hydrogen-bond systems accompanied by C–HO hydrogen-bonds in the crystal of 1,4-bis(hydroxymethyl)triptycene: an X-ray study

The crystal structure of the title compound was determined (crystal data at 143 K: triclinic, space group P−1, Z=4, a=9.538(2) Å, b=11.638(2) Å, c=14.473(2) Å, α=88.647(3)°, β=89.875(3)°, γ=83.835(3)°, V=1596.9(4) ų). In the crystal there exist two kinds of tetrameric O–HO hydrogen-bond (H-bond) systems that are quite similar to each other. The oxygen atoms accept also intermolecular C–HO H-bonds. The two types of the H-bonds connect the molecules to an infinite two-dimensional supramolecular unit, the stacking of which is aided by an intermolecular C–Hπ H-bond. A phase transition with ΔH_t=4.4±0.1 kJ/mol was found at around 420 K.     

Fluoride removal using lanthanum incorporated chitosan beads

Highly selective material based on naturally occurring biomaterial namely chitosan has been designed for the defluoridation of water. Lanthanum incorporated chitosan beads (LCB) were prepared using precipitation method. The synthesis was optimized by varying different synthesis parameters namely lanthanum loading, complexation and precipitation time, strength of ammonia solution used for precipitation, drying time, etc. Lanthanum incorporated chitosan beads were characterized using SEM, FTIR, XRD and EDX. Surface area of LCB was observed to be 2.76 m² g⁻¹. The equilibrium adsorption data fitted well to Langmuir adsorption isotherm and showing maximum fluoride adsorption capacity of 4.7 mg g⁻¹ with negligible lanthanum release. Kinetic study reveals that adsorption of fluoride is fast and follows pseudo-first-order kinetics. The effect of pH was also studied and the best efficiency was observed at pH 5. Presence of sulphate, nitrate and chloride marginally affected the removal efficiency, however drastic reduction in fluoride uptake was observed in the presence of carbonate and bicarbonate. Negative value of change in free energy (ΔG°) and positive value of change in entropy (ΔS°) suggest the adsorption of fluoride by LCB is feasible and spontaneous process. Positive value of change in enthalpy (ΔH°) suggests the process of fluoride adsorption is endothermic in nature. Regeneration study reveals that 1 M ammonium chloride solution appears to be the promising regeneration media showing 81.22% regeneration. The adsorption capacity of LCB was similar in fluoride-contaminated ground water collected from Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, India, as compared to simulated water.     

Molecular modeling and spectroscopic studies on binding of 2,6-bis[4-(4-amino-2-trifluoromethylphenoxy)benzoyl] pyridine to human serum albumin

BAFP (2,6-bis[4-(4-amino-2-trifluoromethylphenoxy)benzoyl] pyridine), a synthesized polyimide compound, was exploited for the first time to analyze its interaction with human serum albumin (HSA) by molecular modeling, fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection spectroscopy (FTIR ATR) with drug concentrations of 3.3 × 10⁻⁶ to 3.0 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹. Molecular docking was performed to reveal the possible binding mode. The results suggested that BAFP can strongly bind to human serum albumin (HSA) and the primary binding site of BAFP is located in site II of HSA, which is supported by the results from the competitive experiment. The binding constants for the interaction of BAFP with HSA have been evaluated from relevant fluorescence data at different temperatures (296, 303, 310 and 308 K). The alterations of the protein secondary structure in the presence of BAFP in aqueous solution were quantitatively calculated by the evidences from FTIR ATR spectroscopes. The binding process was exothermic and spontaneous, as indicated by the thermodynamic analyses, and the major part of the binding energy is hydrophobic interaction, which is also in good agreement with the results of molecule modeling study. The enthalpy change ΔH⁰, the free energy change ΔG⁰ and the entropy change ΔS⁰ of 296 K were calculated to be −7.75, −27.68 kJ mol⁻¹ and 67.33 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹, respectively.     

NMR study of the dynamic behaviour of the system 2-ethylhexylsodium-2-ethylhexyllithium in heptane

Mixtures of 2-ethylhexylsodium and 2-ethylhexyllithium are studied by ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy in the temperature range from 20 to −50°C in hydrocarbon solutions. Characteristic temperature-dependent spectra obtained are indicative of dynamic exchange processes taking place in the system. The following activation parameters are found: ΔH^≠=31.7±2.7 kJ mol⁻¹; ΔG^≠₃₁₃=58.7±0.6 kJ mol⁻¹; ΔS^≠=−86.37±10.8 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹. The negative value of the activation entropy indicates that the exchange proceeds through the associative mechanism. The participation in exchange reactions of aggregates, containing both sodium and lithium derivatives, is suggested.     

Micelle Formation and Counterion Binding of Dodecylammonium Alkanesulfonates in Water at Different Temperatures

A temperature study was performed on micelle formation of a series of homologous cationic surfactants having organic counterions (alkanesulfonates) with carbon numbers ranging from 1 to 4: dodecylammonium salts of methanesulfonate (DAMS), ethanesulfonate (DAES), propanesulfonate (DAPS), and butanesulfonate (DABS) in water. The critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) and the degree of counterion binding (β) were determined at different temperatures ranging from 5 to 50°C by means of conventional electric conductance measurements. From the temperature dependence of β as well as CMC, Gibbs energy ΔG⁰_m, enthalpy ΔH⁰_m, and entropy ΔS⁰_m, on micelle formation, were estimated for the respective surfactants. As for the temperature dependence of CMC for these surfactants, the temperature-CMC curves have a minimum around 30°C and show that the CMC at each temperature is lowered by about 3 mmol dm^-3 per methylene group in the alkyl chain of the counterions. The relationship between β and temperature suggested that the counterion of MS^- behaves most similarly to common univalent ions such as halide ions. In contrast, PS^- and BS^-, having a stronger ability to lower CMC and to promote association of surfactant ions with counterions as well as of surfactant ions themselves, behave more like those of surfactant ions, and ES^- shows the most complicated character between those of common univalent ions and organic ions. However, the temperature dependence of enthalpy change, ΔH⁰_m demonstrates that these four surfactants are divided into two groups: (1) DAMS and DAES and (2) DAPS and DABS. In addition, the entropy change ΔS⁰_m as a function of alkyl chain length gives evidence that the contribution of the entropy term to the Gibbs energy on micelle formation clearly separates between DAES (m = 2) and DAPS (m = 3). A similar discontinuity is found even in the plot of ΔG⁰_m versus carbon atom number of alkyl chain, m, and in the plot of ΔG⁰_m versus estimated hydrodynamic radius of counterions. All the results obtained have indicated that lengthening the alkyl chains initially hinders micelle formation, but the longer chains are markedly effective in lowering the CMC and probably in increasing the aggregation number, owing to enhanced hydrophobic interaction between counterion and the micellar surface and/or core.     

DNA binding and oxidative cleavage activity of ternary (l-proline)copper(II) complexes of heterocyclic bases

Ternary copper(II) complexes [Cu(l-pro)(B)(H₂O)](NO₃) (1, 2) where l-pro = l-proline, B is a N,N-donor heterocyclic base, viz. 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy, 1), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen, 2), are synthesized, characterized, and their DNA binding and cleavage activity studied. The bpy complex (1) is structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The complexes show the presence of a distorted square-pyramidal (4 + 1) CuN₃O₂ coordination geometry. Complex [Cu(l-pro)(bpy)(H₂O)](NO₃) (1) crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 with unit cell parameters: a = 7.082(3) Å, b = 10.483(5) Å, c = 11.581(5) Å, α = 89.700(7)°, β = 83.488(8)°, γ = 84.109(8)° and V = 849.7(7) Å³. The one-electron paramagnetic complexes display a d–d band near 600 nm in water and show a cyclic voltammetric response due to Cu(II)/Cu(I) couple near 0.1 V (versus SCE) in Tris–HCl buffer–0.1 M KCl. Binding interactions of the complexes with calf thymus (CT) DNA have been investigated by emission, absorption, viscosity and DNA thermal denaturation studies. The phen complex displays significant binding propensity to the CT DNA giving an order: 2 (phen)  1 (bpy). The bpy complex does not show any apparent binding to the DNA and hence poor cleavage efficiency. Complex 2 shows efficient oxidative cleavage of SC-DNA in the presence of 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) involving hydroxyl radical species as evidenced from the control data showing inhibition of DNA cleavage in the presence of DMSO and catalase.     

Absorption and electroabsorption spectra of carotenoid cation radical and dication

Radical cations and dications of two carotenoids astaxanthin and canthaxanthin were prepared by oxidation with FeCl₃ in fluorinated alcohols at room temperature. Absorption and electroabsorption (Stark effect) spectra were recorded for astaxanthin cations in mixed frozen matrices at temperatures about 160 K. The D₀→D₂ transition in cation radical is at 835 nm. The electroabsorption spectrum for the D₀→D₂ transition exhibits a negative change of molecular polarizability, Δα=−1.2·10⁻³⁸ C·m²/V (−105 A³), which seems to originate from the change in bond order alternation in the ground state rather than from the electric field-induced interaction of D₁ and D₂ excited states. Absorption spectrum of astaxanthin dication is located at 715–717 nm, between those of D₀→D₂ in cation radical and S₀→S₂ in neutral carotenoid. Its shape reflects a short vibronic progression and strong inhomogeneous broadening. The polarizability change on electronic excitation, Δα=2.89·10⁻³⁸ C·m²/V (260 A³), is five times smaller than in neutral astaxanthin. This value reflects the larger energetic distance from the lowest excited state to the higher excited states than in the neutral molecule.     

High-pressure preparation, crystal structure, and properties of the new rare-earth oxoborate β-Dy2B4O9

In this work we report about a new rare-earth oxoborate β-Dy₂B₄O₉ synthesized under high-pressure/high-temperature conditions from Dy₂O₃ and boron oxide B₂O₃ in a B₂O₃/Na₂O₂ flux with a walker-type multianvil apparatus at 8 GPa and 1000°C. Single crystal X-ray structure determination of β-Dy₂B₄O₉ revealed: , a=616.2(1) pm, b=642.8(1) pm, c=748.5(1) pm, α=102.54(1)°, β=97.08(1)°, γ=102.45(1)°, Z=2, R1=0.0151, wR₂=0.0475 (all data). The compound exhibits a new structure type which is built up from bands of linked BO₃- (Δ) and tetrahedral BO₄-groups (□). The Dy³⁺-cations are positioned in the voids between the bands. According to the conception of fundamental building blocks β-Dy₂B₄O₉ can be classified with the notation 2Δ6□:Δ3□=4□=3□Δ. Furthermore we report about temperature-resolved in situ powder diffraction measurements and IR-spectroscopic investigations on β-Dy₂B₄O₉.