Structure and DNA-binding properties of bis(quinolonato)bis(pyridine)zinc(II) complexes

The novel neutral mononuclear zinc complexes with the quinolone antibacterial drugs enrofloxacin and oxolinic acid in the presence of the nitrogen donor heterocyclic ligand pyridine have been synthesized and characterized. The experimental data suggest that the quinolone ligands are on the deprotonated mode acting as bidentate ligands coordinated to the zinc(II) ion through the ketone oxygen and a carboxylato oxygen. The crystal structure of the complex bis(enrofloxacinato)bis(pyridine)zinc(II), 1, has been determined with X-ray crystallography. The biological activity of the complexes has been evaluated by examining their ability to bind to calf-thymus DNA (CT-DNA) with UV and fluorescence spectroscopies. UV spectroscopic titration studies of the interaction of the complexes with DNA have shown that they can bind to CT-DNA and the DNA binding constants have been calculated. Competitive studies with ethidium bromide (EB) have shown that the complexes exhibit the ability to displace the DNA-bound EB indicating that they can bind to DNA in strong competition with EB for the intercalative binding site.