Antioxidant activity and interaction with DNA and albumins of zinc-tolfenamato complexes. Crystal structure of [Zn(tolfenamato)₂(2,2'-dipyridylketoneoxime)₂].

The zinc(II) complex of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug tolfenamic acid (=Htolf) in the presence of 2,2'-dipyridylketone oxime (=Hpko) as a N,N'-donor heterocyclic ligand, [Zn(tolf-O)₂(Hpko-N,N')₂]·MeOH (=1·MeOH), has been synthesized and characterized by physicochemical techniques including X-ray crystallography. The complex exhibits good binding affinity to human or bovine serum albumin with high binding constant values. Complex 1 and previously reported Zn-tolfenamato complexes were tested for their free radical scavenging activity and in vitro inhibitory activity against soybean lipoxygenase and exhibited significant activity with [Zn(tolf)₂(1,10-phenantroline)] being the most active compound. The complexes interact with calf-thymus (CT) DNA via intercalation, and can displace the DNA-bound ethidium bromide with 1 exhibiting the highest binding constant to CT DNA.