Copper(II) complexes with antimicrobial drug flumequine: structure and biological evaluation

The copper(II) complexes with the first-generation quinolone antibacterial agent flumequine(Hflmq) in the presence or absence of the nitrogen donor heterocyclic ligands 2,2'-bipyridylamine(bipyam), 2,2'-bipyridine(bipy), 1,10-phenanthroline(phen) or pyridine(py) have been synthesized and characterized. Flumequine acts as bidentate ligand coordinated to Cu(II) atom through the pyridone oxygen and a carboxylato oxygen. The crystal structures of the complexes [Cu(flmq)(bipyam)Cl], [Cu(flmq)(bipy)Cl] and [Cu(flmq)(phen)Cl] have been determined by X-ray crystallography revealing a distorted square pyramidal geometry for Cu(II) atom. The interaction of the complexes with bovine or human serum albumin proteins has been studied by fluorescence spectroscopy revealing their good binding propensity to the proteins with relatively high binding constant values. UV study of the interaction of the complexes with calf-thymus DNA (CT DNA) has shown that they bind to CT DNA and [Cu(flmq)(2)(py)(2)] exhibits the highest binding constant to CT DNA. The cyclic voltammograms of the complexes have shown that in the presence of CT DNA the complexes can bind to CT DNA by the intercalative binding mode which has also been verified by DNA solution viscosity measurements. Competitive study with ethidium bromide(EB) has shown that the complexes can displace the DNA-bound EB indicating that they bind to DNA in strong competition with EB.