Synthesis, characterization, and biological activities of a Cu(II) complex with the non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug flufenamic acid

[Cu^II(L)₂.C₁₂H₁₀N₂] with flufenamic acid (HL=C₁₄H₁₀F₃NO₂) and phenanthroline (C₁₂H₁₀N₂O) was synthesized and characterized by C, H and N elemental analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and, IR spectra. The urease inhibitory and antibacterial activities of the complex were tested. The complex showed strong inhibitory activity against jack bean urease with an IC₅₀ value of 0.265 μM. Four bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and proteusbacillus vulgaris, were used in the antibacterial test. The complex showed strong inhibitory activity against the species with IC₅₀ values of 2.016, 35.037, 10.680, and 3.820 μM. The interactions of the complex with human serum albumin (HSA) were studied through fluorescence spectroscopy. By analyzing the experimental data, we concluded that the fluorescence quenching mechanism of the complex with serum albumin was static quenching. The binding mode of the complex with DNA through UV spectroscopy was electrostatic binding or groove.