Integrating molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation approaches for investigation of the affinity and interactions of Berberine with Class C β-Lactamase

Abstract

Background: Antibiotic resistance is a significant health concern, as bacteria produce enzymes that inhibit antimicrobial drug activity, increasing disease generation. This study investigates the inhibitory effect of berberine on β-lactamase enzyme activity and antibiotic effectiveness. Methods: Molecular docking was utilized to find the binding pose and binding affinity of a new inhibitory ligand with the AmpC enzyme using Autodock software version 4.2.2. MD simulations were performed in free form and complicated to understand the stability of the protein-ligand docked complex. Results: The molecular docking result indicated the proper interaction between berberine and the AmpC β-lactamase enzyme with a suitable binding pose and binding energy of -6.55 kcal/mol. The MD simulation of systems verifies the docking result, which shows stable hydrogen bonds of berberine with AmpC and good equivalence between RMSD, RMSF, SASA, etc. Conclusion: This paper reveals that berberine, which is a natural ingredient with multiple medicinal characteristics, can be applied as a potential inhibitor of class C β-lactamase AmpC. Hence, the outcome of the calculations performed provides valuable data to design new inhibitors with therapeutic potential to control the β-lactamase activity.