Spectroscopic studies on the interaction of serum albumins with plant derived natural molecules

Serum Albumins are the most abundant transport protein and they are important in the transport and delivery of small molecules and drugs to different parts of the body. Their binding with various ligand molecules has an important role in the pharmaco-kinetic behavior of these molecules. Plant derived natural molecules; flavonoids, alkaloids, stilbenes and coumarins, possess valuable pharmacological and therapeutic potentials. Their interaction with serum albumins is an area of interest for many researchers. This article reviews the interaction of flavonoids, alkaloids, stilbenes and coumarins with human and bovine serum albumins studied using various spectroscopic techniques such as uv-visible absorption, fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and molecular modeling methods. The present review will throw light on selecting, designing and optimizing these molecules for biomedical applications which can selectively target their binding sites.