The antibacterial effect of Yb3+, the free porphyrin base 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-methoxyphenyl)porphyrin (H2TMP; 1), and the corresponding Yb3+ porphyrinato complex [Yb(III)(TMP)(H2O)3]+ Cl- (Yb(TMP); 2) towards Staphylococcus aureus was investigated by stop-flow microcalorimetry. By analyzing the obtained metabolic thermogenic curves, crucial parameters such as rate constant of bacterial growth (k), half inhibitory concentration (IC50), and generation time (t(G)) were determined. The antibacterial activities of the three compounds tested was 2>1>Yb3+, with an IC50 value of 273 mg/l for complex 2. The Yb3+ porphyrinato complex is proposed to benefit from synergetic effects of Yb3+ and the free porphyrin 1.

The actions of two novel diselenide-bridged bis(porphyrin)s (1 and 2) on Staphylococcus aureus growth was investigated by microcalorimetry at 37.00 degrees C, compared with that of Na2SeO3. Differences in their capacities to inhibit the growth metabolism of S. aureus were observed. By analyzing the power-time curves, crucial parameters such as the rate constant of bacterial growth (k), inhibitory rate (I), and generation time (tG) were determined. The growth rate constant (k) of S. aureus (in the log phase) in the presence of the drugs decreased with increasing concentrations of the drugs regularly. The relationship of k and c is nearly linear for diselenide-bridged bis(porphyrin) 2. The sequence of the antibacterial activities of these selenium compounds tested was 2 > 1 > Na2SeO3.

The antibacterial activities towards Escherichia coli of two cationic Yb(III)-monoporphyrin complexes, [Yb(III)(TMP)(H2O)3]Cl (1) and [Yb(III)(TTP)(H2O)3]Cl (2), were investigated at the cellular and sub-cellular levels. The biological effects of the complexes on the growth of E. coli were evaluated by microcalorimetry and by analysis of the resulting metabolic thermogenic curves, from which IC50 values and metabolic parameters such as growth rate and generation time were derived. At the subcellular level, DNA-binding experiments were performed by means of UV/VIS- and fluorescence-titration experiments, as well as by near-infrared (NIR) emission, which revealed that 1 and 2 strongly bind to herring-sperm DNA (HS-DNA), though by different binding modes.

No abstract