Fengling Cui

Characterization of the interaction between 8-bromoadenosine with human serum albumin and its analytical application

This study was designed to examine the interaction of 8-bromoadenosine with human serum albumin (HSA) by fluorescence spectroscopy in combination with molecular modeling under simulative physiological conditions. The results of fluorescence measurements indicate that 8-bromoadenosine has a strong ability to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of HSA through static quenching procedure. The binding constants (K) at different temperatures and thermodynamic parameters, enthalpy changes (DeltaH) and entropy changes (DeltaS) were calculated according to the fluorescence data. The results showed that the hydrophobic force played the major role in the binding of 8-bromoadenosine to HSA. The fluorescence experimental results were in agreement with the results obtained by molecular modeling study. The effects of some normal positive and negative ions on the binding constants were also discussed. Moreover, the synchronous fluorescence technique was used to characterize the interaction of 8-bromoadenosine to HSA and successfully applied to determine the total proteins in human serum, urine and saliva samples at room temperature under the optimum conditions with a wide linear range and satisfactory results.

A study on the interaction between 5-Methyluridine and human serum albumin using fluorescence quenching method and molecular modeling

This work was designed to study the interaction between 5-Methyluridine and human serum albumin (HSA) under simulative physiological conditions using fluorescence spectroscopy in combination with molecular modeling technique for the first time. Static quenching was suggested by the fluorescence measurement. The binding constants (K) were calculated according to the relevant fluorescence data at different conditions including temperature. Thermodynamic parameter, different conditions including temperature to determine enthalpy change and entropy change, indicating the hydrophobic force played a major role in the binding interaction between 5-Methyluridine and HSA. The experimental result was in correspondence with molecular modeling theory.

Spectroscopic study one thiosemicarbazone derivative with ctDNA using ethidium bromide as a fluorescence probe.

In this study, a thiosemicarbazone derivative (E)-2-((1,4-dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone-2-yl)methylene)-N-(4-fluorophenyl)hydrazinecarbothioamide (DAFPT) was synthesized, and the interaction of DAFPT with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) was explored using ethidium bromide (EB) as a fluorescence probe. The binding mode between DAFPT and ctDNA was investigated by UV absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular docking. The fluorescence quenching mechanism of EB-ctDNA by DAFPT might be a combined quenching type. Thermodynamic parameters showed that the reaction was spontaneous. According to ionic strength, fluorescence polarization and melting temperature (T(m)) curve results, DAFPT-ctDNA interaction was groove binding. The molecular modeling results indicated that DAFPT could slide into the A-T rich region of ctDNA.

Green and economical synthesis of nitrogen-doped carbon dots from vegetables for sensing and imaging applications

Fluorescent carbon-based nanomaterials have attracted tremendous concern owing to their unique properties of chemical stability, excellent biocompatibility, tunable excitation and emission spectra, low toxicity and photostability. Herein, a green, simple and low-cost approach was present to obtain nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-doped C-dots) with the quantum yield of 37.5% using vegetables as the sole carbon source through facile one-pot hydrothermal treatment without additional solvents. The as-prepared N-doped C-dots are fully characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-vis absorption, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The synthesized N-doped C-dots displayed excellent water solubility and stability in a wide range of pH and ionic strength. As the emission of N-doped C-dots is efficiently quenched by Cu2+, the C-dots can serve as a suitable sensing platform for label-free sensitive and selective detection of Cu(II) ions with a detection limit of 9.98 nM. The cell viability results of HeLa cells proved the low toxicity of C-dots. Further, the imaging of Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells and HeLa cells demonstrated the biolabeling potential in vivo of the synthesized C-dots with low toxicity and good biocompatibility.

Spectroscopic, Viscositic and Molecular Modeling Studies on the Interaction of 3′-Azido-Daunorubicin Thiosemicarbazone with DNA

A new daunorubicin has been synthesized and structurally characterized. The interaction of native calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) with 3′-azido-daunorubicin thiosemicarbazone (ADNRT) was investigated under simulated physiological conditions by multi-spectroscopic techniques, viscometric measurements and molecular modeling study. It concluded that ADNRT could intercalate into the base pairs of ctDNA, and the fluorescence quenching by ctDNA was static quenching type. Thermodynamic parameters calculated suggested that the binding of ADNRT to ctDNA was mainly driven by hydrophobic interactions. The relative viscosity of ctDNA increased with the addition of ADNRT, which confirmed the intercalation mode. Furthermore, molecular modeling studies corroborate the above experimental results.

Investigations on the interactions of diclofenac sodium with HSA and ctDNA using molecular modeling and multispectroscopic methods

A tentative study on interaction of diclofenac sodium (DF-Na) with human serum albumin (HSA) and calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) was conducted by using multi-spectroscopic and molecular modeling techniques under simulative physiological conditions. The results of spectroscopic measurements suggested that the quenching mechanisms were static quenching. Three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy clearly demonstrated the occurrence of conformational changes of HSA with addition of DF-Na. In addition, competitive studies with ethidium bromide (EB) have shown that DF-Na can bind to ctDNA relatively strong via groove binding. Based on the values of thermodynamic parameters and the results of molecular modeling, it was confirmed that hydrophobic forces and hydrogen bond were the mainly binding forces in DF-Na-HSA and DF-Na-DNA systems. The binding distance between DF-Na and HSA was also determined using the theory of the Förster energy transference.

Determination of bismuth in pharmaceutical products using phosphoric acid as molecular probe by resonance light scattering.

A novel method for the sensitive determination of bismuth(III) in pharmaceutical products using phosphoric acid as a molecular probe by resonance light scattering (RLS) is discussed. In 0.5 mol/L phosphoric acid (H3 PO4) medium, bismuth(III) reacted with PO4 (3-) to form an ion association compound, which resulted in the significant enhancement of RLS intensity and the appearance of the corresponding RLS spectral characteristics. The maximum scattering peak of the system existed at 364 nm. Under optimal conditions, there was linear relationship between the relative intensity of RLS and concentration of bismuth(III) in the range of 0.06-10.0 µg/mL for the system. A low detection limit for bismuth(III) of 3.22 ng/mL was achieved. The relative standard deviations (RSD) for the determination of 0.40 and 0.80 µg/mL bismuth(III) were 2.1% and 1.1%, respectively, for five determinations. Based on this fact, a simple, rapid, and sensitive method was developed for the determination of bismuth(III) at nanogram level by RLS technique with a common spectrofluorimeter. This analytical system was successfully applied to determine the trace amounts of bismuth(III) in pharmaceutical products, which was in good agreement with the results obtained by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS).

Molecular interaction of ctDNA and HSA with sulfadiazine sodium by multispectroscopic methods and molecular modeling.

Interactions of sulfadiazine sodium (SD-Na) with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) and human serum albumin (HSA) were studied using fluorescence spectroscopy, UV absorption spectroscopy and molecular modeling. The fluorescence experiments showed that the processes were static quenching. The results of UV spectra and molecular modeling of the interaction between SD-Na and ctDNA indicated that the binding mode might be groove binding. In addition, the interaction of SD-Na with HSA under simulative physiological conditions was also investigated. The binding constants (K) and the number of binding sites (n) at different temperatures (292, 302, 312 K) were 5.23 × 10(3) L/mol, 2.18; 4.50 × 10(3) L/mol, 2.35; and 4.08 × 10(3) L/mol, 2.47, respectively. Thermodynamic parameters including enthalpy change (ΔH) and entropy change (ΔS) were calculated, the results suggesting that hydrophobic force played a very important role in SD-Na binding to HSA, which was in good agreement with the molecular modeling study. Moreover, the effect of SD-Na on the conformation of HSA was analyzed using three-dimensional fluorescence spectra.

Probing the interaction of anthraquinone with DNA by spectroscopy, molecular modeling and cancer cell imaging technique

A new anthraquinone derivative, (E)-2-(1-(4,5-dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yloxyimino)ethyl)-1,4-dihydroxyanthracene-9,10-dione (AODGlc), was synthesized and its binding properties towards DNA were explored under physiological conditions by fluorescence spectroscopy, DNA melting as well as docking techniques. The experimental results revealed that AODGlc could bind to calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) through intercalation between DNA base pairs. The values of thermodynamic parameters at different temperatures including ΔG, ΔH, and ΔS and the molecular modeling study implied that hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds were the main interactions in the AODGlc-ctDNA system. Cervical cancer cells (HepG2 cells) were used in cell viability assay and cell imaging experiment. AODGlc could interact with HepG2 cells and kill HepG2 cells under high concentration with nice curative effect, indicating its potential bioapplication in the future.

Modeling techniques and fluorescence imaging investigation of the interactions of an anthraquinone derivative with HSA and ctDNA

A new anthraquinone derivative (AORha) was synthesized. Its interactions with human serum albumin (HSA) and calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) were investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and molecular modeling. Cell viability assay and cell imaging experiment were performed using cervical cancer cells (HepG2 cells). The fluorescence results revealed that the quenching mechanism was static quenching. At different temperatures (290, 300, 310 K), the binding constants (K) and the number of binding sites (n) were determined, respectively. The positive ΔH and ΔS values showed that the binding of AORha with HSA was hydrophobic force, which was identical with the molecular docking result. Studying the fluorescence spectra, UV spectra and molecular modeling also verified that the binding mode of AORha and ctDNA might be intercalative. When HepG2 cells were treated with AORha, the fluorescence became brighter and turned green, which could be used for bioimaging.