DNA binding and cleavage activity of reduced amino-acid Schiff base complexes of cobalt(II), copper(II), and cadmium(II)

Three new reduced amino-acid Schiff base complexes, [Co(HL)2(H2O)2] · 4H2O (1), [Cu(HL)2(H2O)2] · 2H2O (2), and [Cd(HL)2(H2O)3] · 2H2O (3), where H2L is the reduced Schiff-base ligand derived from the condensation of N-(4-hydroxybenzaldehyde) with L-glycine, have been synthesized and characterized by physico-chemical and spectroscopic methods. In these complexes, the two bidentate monoanionic Schiff base ligands coordinate the metal center through the secondary amine N atom and the carboxylate O atom. Water ligands complete a distorted octahedral (1, 2) or a pentagonal bipyramidal coordination geometry (3) around each metal center. The binding interactions of the complexes with CT-DNA have been investigated by UV–visible spectrophotometry and fluorescence quenching methods. The results show that these complexes bind to CT-DNA with an intercalative mode. In addition, DNA cleavage experiments have been also investigated by agarose gel electrophoresis. Complexes 1–3 show oxidative DNA cleavage activity in the presence of H2O2/sodium ascorbate and the reactive oxygen species responsible for the DNA cleavage is most likely singlet oxygen.