Spectroscopic study of the interaction of coumarin anticoagulant drugs with polyvinylpyrrolidone.

The interaction of coumarin anticoagulants with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was investigated using a fluorescence technique. The fluorescence intensities of warfarin and phenprocoumon were greatly enhanced following binding to PVP, while the fluorescence of 4-hydroxycoumarin was little enhanced in the presence of PVP. The enhanced fluorescence of warfarin and phenprocoumon bound to PVP can be explained by their incorporation into the hydrophobic environment in the PVP and by a decrease in the internal rotation of the alpha-substituted benzyl group in the drugs. The binding parameters of warfarin and phenprocoumon were estimated by the Klotz method; the binding constants for phenprocoumon and warfarin were found to be 2.6 X 10(4) and 2.2 X 10(4) M-1, respectively. The 13C-NMR measurements suggest the lactone moiety in the 4-hydroxycoumarin and the substituted benzene ring play an important role in the binding to PVP.