Abstract

EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL OF MOMORDICIN AS BIO CHELATOR FOR THE COMPLEXATION WITH HEAVY METALS: REMEDIAL APPROACH

Nidhi Gaur*, Ginni Kumawat, Romila Karnawat, I.K. Sharma and P.S. Verma

Abstract

Environmental contamination and exposure to heavy metals such as, mercury, cadmium, lead and arsenic, is a serious growing problem throughout the world. These metals are highly toxic and can cause damaging effects even at very low concentrations. Quantitative estimations of these heavy metals in digested human blood samples collected from different areas of Rajasthan were carried out. The concentrations of these heavy metals were observed near or above the permissible limits in almost 50% of the collected samples. In recent years, particular attention has been paid to studies on the complexation of important bio elements with biologically active ligands to avoid the side effects caused by synthetic chelators. In present study, role of momordicin was evaluated in providing better therapeutic outcomes in heavy metal toxicity. Momordicin was extracted from Momordica charantia in slightly acidic medium (at pH 6) to react with certain toxic metals (As, Pb, Hg and Cd). The complexation of momordicin with selected heavy metals was carried out at 30oC at pH 5.8. Spectral studies confirmed the presence of metal- oxygen bonding in the synthesized complexes. Spectrophotometric methods were also implemented for evaluation of stability constants of the synthesized complexes. The present study reveals the potential of momordicin to act as a bio chelator.

Keywords: chelation, momordicin, Momordica charantia, bio chelator.