Electrochemical studies of calcium dobesilate and interaction with DNA

The electrochemical behavior of calcium dobesilate (CD) and its interaction with DNA were explored using voltammetry and UV spectroscopy. The results show that CD could interact with DNA molecules by intercalation, forming a non-electroactive complex. CD has excellent electrochemical activity on a gold nanoparticle-modified glassy carbon electrode with a couple of redox peaks. In the presence of DNA, the peak current of CD decreases and the peak potential is shifted positively, but no new peak appears. The binding of CD with DNA, analyzed in terms of the cooperative Hill model, yields an association constant of 2.63 x 10(3) L center dot mol(-1) and a Hill coefficient of m a parts per thousand aEuro parts per thousand 2. These results may serve as a reference for in vivo investigation of the interaction of CD with DNA base pairs in living cells.