SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND PERSISTENT DNA BINDING, ANTI-MICROBIAL AND CYTOTOXICITY STUDIES OF NOVEL COPPER (II) COMPLEXES CONTAINING L-TRYPTOPHAN AND HETEROCYCLIC BASE

The copper (II) complexes, [Cu(phen)(tryp)I] (1), [Cu(phen)(tryp)Cl], (2) [Cu(phen)(tryp)SCN] (where phen = 1,10-phenanthroline and tryp = tryptophan ) has been synthesized and characterized by Infra-red Spectra, UV–Visible Spectra, EPR Spectra and elemental analysis methods. Binding interactions mode of the complexes with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) were investigated by UV–Vis absorp-tion titration, fluorescence emission, cyclic voltammetry, viscometric technique. The complexes were subjected to in-vitro cytotoxicity studies against the human liver cancer cell, as revealed by the MTT assay method. The complex was shown to be a partial intercalation mode of binding into DNA. The results show that complex 1 exhibited potent cytotoxic effects against human cell line (HepG2) when compared to complex 2 and complex 3. The complex was screened for its in-vitro antibacterial activity against one Gram-positive (staphylococcus aureus) and two Gram-negative (klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli) bacterial strains and for in-vitro antifungal activity against (Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus species, Penicillium species). The results suggest that all the complexes exhibit good antibacterial activity. The antifungal activity data showed that complex 1 and 3 will be inactive, whereas complex 2 show good antifungal agents towards Aspergillus niger fungal species.