Alkaloid chelirubine and DNA: blue and red luminescence

Michal Rajecky; Iva Slaninova; Petra Mokrisova; Jana Urbanova; Martin Palkovsky; Eva Taborska; Petr Taborsky

doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2012.10.045

Alkaloid chelirubine and DNA: blue and red luminescence

Talanta. 2013 Feb 15:105:317-9. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2012.10.045. Epub 2012 Nov 2.

Authors

Michal Rajecky¹, Iva Slaninova, Petra Mokrisova, Jana Urbanova, Martin Palkovsky, Eva Taborska, Petr Taborsky

Affiliation

¹ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno 611 37, Czech Republic.

PMID: 23598024
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2012.10.045

Abstract

Extracts from Himalayan herb Dicranostigma lactucoides containing alkaloid chelirubine have been used for centuries in Chinese herbal medicine. We have found a new utilization for the alkaloid: it can be used as a DNA fluorescent probe showing blue (free form) and red (intercalated to DNA) luminescence emission after irradiation by near-UV light. Besides quantification of DNA (LOD = 6 ng ml(-1)) it can also be used as a supravital cell probe because chelirubine molecules can effectively enter into the living cell through the cell membrane.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Alkaloids / chemistry*
DNA / chemistry*
Luminescence

Substances

Alkaloids
DNA