Study on the interaction between cannabinol and DNA using acridine orange as a fluorescence probe

The interaction between cannabinol (CBN) and herring-sperm deoxyribonucleic acid was investigated by using acridine orange as a fluorescence probe in this work. UV-Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and DNA melting techniques were used. The fluorescence of DNA acridine orange was quenched by CBN. The results indicated that CBN can bind to DNA. The binding constant for the CBN and herring-sperm deoxyribonucleic acid was obtained at 3 temperatures, respectively. Results of molecular docking corroborated the experimental results obtained from spectroscopic investigations. The influence of ionic strength on the fluorescence properties was also investigated. The thermodynamic results indicated that hydrophobic interaction played a major role in the binding between CBN and DNA.