A spectroscopic and molecular modeling study of sinomenine binding to transferrin

Sinomenine, an herbal ingredient isolated from Sinomenium acutum, is used for the amelioration of arthritis. It has been found that this molecule could bind to human serum transferrin (Tf), the iron (III) transport protein in the blood, by using fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and molecular modeling methods. The results provide possible usage of transferrin to transport sinomenine.