Insights into in-vitro studies and molecular modelling of the antimicrobial efficiency of 4-chlorobenzaldehyde and 4-methoxybenzaldehyde derivatives

Abstract

Owing to the significant gap in the knowledge and understanding of the mechanisms of antimicrobial action and the development of resistance, the optimization of antimicrobial therapies therefore becomes a necessity. It is on this note, that this study seeks to both experimentally and theoretically investigate the antimicrobial efficiency of two synthesized compounds namely; 1-((4-methoxyphenyl) (morpholino)methyl)thiourea (MR1) and diethyl 4-(4-chlorophenyl)-2,6-diphenyl-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate (HRC). Utilizing the density functional theory (DFT), the compounds were optimized at ωB97XD/6-31++G(2d, 2p) level of theory. This provided a clear explanation for their distinct reactivity and stability potentials. More so, the natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis confirmed strong intra and intermolecular interactions, which agreed with the calculated reactivity parameters and density of states (DOS). Upon assessing the antimicrobial efficacy of the synthesized compounds, it was found that they exhibited lower activity against Enterobacter and A. niger, but considerable activity against Moraxella. In contrast, they showed higher activity against B. subtilis and Trichophyton, indicating that the compounds are more effective against gram-positive bacteria than gram-negative ones. Hence, it can be asserted that the synthesized compounds have superior antifungal action than antibacterial activity. A fascinating aspect of the data is that they show interactions that are incredibly insightful, totally correlating with the simulations of both molecular docking and molecular dynamics. Therefore, the alignment between experimental findings and computational simulations strengthens the validity of the study’s conclusions, emphasizing the significance of the synthesized compounds in the context of optimizing antimicrobial therapies. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma