RNA binding to antioxidant flavonoids

Flavonoids are an interesting group of natural polyphenolic compounds that exhibit extensive bioactivities such as scavenging free radical, antitumor and antiproliferative effects. The anticancer and antiviral effects of these natural products are attributed to their potential biomedical applications. While flavonoids complexation with DNA is known, their bindings to RNA are not fully investigated. This study was designed to examine the interactions of three flavonoids; morin (Mor), apigenin (Api) and naringin (Nar) with yeast RNA in aqueous solution at physiological conditions, using constant RNA concentration (6.25 mM) and various pigment/RNA (phosphate) ratios of 1/120 to 1/1. FTIR, UV–visible spectroscopic methods were used to determine the ligand binding modes, the binding constant and the stability of RNA in flavonoid-RNA complexes in aqueous solution. Spectroscopic evidence showed major binding of flavonoids to RNA with overall binding constants of Kmorin = 9.150 × 103 M−1, Kapigenin = 4.967 × 104 M−1, and Knaringin = 1.144 × 104 M−1. The affinity of flavonoid-RNA binding is in the order of apigenin > naringin > morin. No biopolymer secondary structural changes were observed upon flavonoid interaction and RNA remains in the A-family structure in these pigment complexes.