The interaction of tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBABr)-based deep eutectic solvents (DESs) with calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) was investigated by fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The influences of hydrogen bond donors (HBDs), with respect to chain lengths and the presence of OH group were determined through ethidium bromide (EB) fluorescence quenching. Based on the quenching process, it was concluded that hydrophobic interactions were responsible for the DES ability to quench EB from EB-bound DNA. The strong electrostatic attraction between TBA + cation on DES and negative charge phosphate DNA was proved from fluorescence and CD spectroscopy. DNA was able to maintain its double helical structure at 25 °C with a concentration of 25% DES.Keywords: binding, deep eutectic solvent, tetrabutylammonium bromide, fluorescence quenching, circular dichroism spectroscopy Abstrak Ikatan antara pelarut eutektik mendalam berasaskan tetrabutilammonium bromida (TBABr) dengan 'calf thymus' DNA (ct-DNA) telah diuji dengan spektroskopi pendarfluor dan edaran dikroisme (CD). Pengaruh penderma ikatan hidrogen (HBDs) berdasarkan panjang rantai dan kehadiran kumpulan OH telah ditentukan melalui pelindapkejutan pendarfluor etidium bromida (EB). Berdasarkan proses pelindapkejutan, dapat dirumuskan bahawa ikatan hidrofobik berperanan dalam menentukan keupayaan DES untuk menyingkirkan EB daripada EB-terikat DNA. Tarikan elektrostatik yang kuat antara kation TBA + pada DES dengan cas negatif fosfat DNA telah dibuktikan daripada kedua-dua spektroskopi pendarfluor dan CD. DNA berupaya mengekalkan struktur heliks berganda pada suhu 25 °C dan kepekatan DES pada 25%.Katakunci: ikatan, pelarut eutektik mendalam, tetrabutilammonium bromida, pelindapkejutan pendarfluor, spektroskopi edaran dikroisme
ISSN
-2506
Rizana et al: STUDIES OF INTERACTION BETWEEN TETRABUTYLAMMONIUM BROMIDE BASED DEEP EUTECTIC SOLVENT AND DNA USING FLUORESCENCE QUENCHING METHOD AND CIRCULAR DICHROISM SPECTROSCOPY 1234Introduction DNA is a biomacromolecule that plays an important role in the living organism because it stores the genetic information for cell replication and transcription. The potentials of DNA were increasingly recognized especially in the applications of biosensors, catalytic membranes, absorbing membranes and support for catalysts [1,2]. However, DNA is unstable in aqueous solution, resulting in denaturation of nucleic acid structure after 1 month of storage at ambient temperature [3]. Over the past few years, new solvents that can retain the DNA helical structure has been researched. Mamajanov et al. were among the first to propose deep eutectic solvent (DES) as an alternative solvent to maintain DNA helical structure and it was found that choline chloride: urea can maintain the DNA native structure [4]. However, the stability of DNA in the DES depends on the ability of DNA to maintain its helical structure, that could change during the interaction of DNA with other molecules. Recently, Sharma et al. found that hydrogen bonding and e...