Preparation of single crystals of palmatine-sulfophenyl acids pharmaceutical salts by substituting Cl− in palmatine chloride to improve hygroscopic stability and antibacterial activity of palmatine and to preserve its solubility

Abstract

To enhance the hygroscopic stability of palmatine chloride (PMTCl) while maintaining its solubility, several unexplored pharmaceutical salts of palmatine (PMT) were synthesised using benzenesulfonic acid (PMT-BSA), p-toluenesulfonic acid (PMT-PTSA), and aminobenzenesulfonic acid (PMT-SUL). These novel salts were thoroughly characterized using techniques such as single-crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and Hirshfeld surface analysis to determine their structural properties. Surprisingly, it was discovered that these salts exhibited improved antibacterial activity in addition to their enhanced hygroscopic stability. As anticipated, all three pharmaceutical salts demonstrated improved hygroscopic stability. This improvement might be attributed, to some extent, to the introduction of safe, stable, and less electronegative anions (BSA, PTSA, and SUL) to replace the more electronegative chloride (Cl−) in PMTCl. The replacement of Cl− hindered the binding of the pharmaceutical with external water molecules, thus increasing its resistance to moisture. Moreover, the interaction between PMT and the anions from the benzenesulfonic acid group via hydrogen bonding might have played a role in the improved hygroscopic stability. The crystal structure formed by the PMT molecules exhibited long-range order, while the benzenesulfonic acid anions cleverly avoided potential binding sites for water molecules. Additionally, the antibacterial activities of all three pharmaceutical salts were enhanced. This improvement can be attributed to the alteration of electron cloud density (ρe) in the isoquinoline group of PMT upon the introduction of benzenesulfonate anions to form the pharmaceutical salts. This hypothesis was supported by analyzing the molecular electrostatic potential, electron cloud density, and Hirshfeld surface. The successful outcome of this study suggests that modifying the ρe of the isoquinoline group in protoberberines through the introduction of benzenesulfonic acid anions to form pharmaceutical salts can potentially alter their physicochemical properties and biological activities. This finding paves the way for future research on improving the physicochemical properties of protoberberines-based pharmaceuticals.