title: Alkaloid chelirubine and DNA: blue and red luminescence.
abstract: Extracts from Himalayan herb Dicranostigma lactucoides containing alkaloid chelirubine have been used for centuries in Chinese herbal medicine. We have found a new utilization for the alkaloid: it can be used as a DNA fluorescent probe showing blue (free form) and red (intercalated to DNA) luminescence emission after irradiation by near-UV light. Besides quantification of DNA (LOD = 6 ng ml(-1)) it can also be used as a supravital cell probe because chelirubine molecules can effectively enter into the living cell through the cell membrane.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, Brno 611 37, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rajecky
authors.forename: Iva
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Slaninova
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mokrisova
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Urbanova
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palkovsky
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Taborska
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Taborsky
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000737:chemistry*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D049449:Luminescence
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D004247:DNA