Characterization of the binding of metoprolol tartrate and guaifenesin drugs to human serum albumin and human hemoglobin proteins by fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy.

The interactions of metoprolol tartrate (MPT) and guaifenesin (GF) drugs with human serum albumin (HSA) and human hemoglobin (HMG) proteins at pH 7.4 were studied by fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Drugs quenched the fluorescence spectra of HSA and HMG proteins through a static quenching mechanism. For each protein-drug system, the values of Stern-Volmer quenching constant, bimolecular quenching constant, binding constant and number of binding site on the protein molecules were determined at 288.15, 298.15, 310.15 and 318.15 K. It was found that the binding constants of HSA-MPT and HSA-GF systems were smaller than those of HMG-MPT and HMG-GF systems. For both drugs, the affinity of HMG was much higher than that of HSA. An increase in temperature caused a negative effect on the binding reactions. The number of binding site on blood proteins for MPT and GF drugs was approximately one. Thermodynamic parameters showed that MPT interacted with HSA through electrostatic attraction forces. However, hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces were the main interaction forces in the formation of HSA-GF, HMG-MPT and HMG-GF complexes. The binding processes between protein and drug molecules were exothermic and spontaneous owing to negative ∆H and ∆G values, respectively. The values of binding distance between protein and drug molecules were calculated from Förster resonance energy transfer theory. It was found from CD analysis that the bindings of MPT and GF drugs to HSA and HMG proteins altered the secondary structure of HSA and HMG proteins.