Binding Energies Of Compounds Research Articles

Synthesis and in silico studies of certain benzo[f]quinoline-based heterocycles as antitumor agents

A series of benzoquinoline-employing heterocycles was synthesized by treating 3-chlorobenzo[f]quinoline-2-carbaldehyde with N-phenyl-3-methylpyrazolone, 4-aminoacetophenone, 1,2-diaminoethane, and 2-cyanoethanohydrazide. Also, pyridine, chromene, α,β-unsaturated nitrile, thiosemicarbazone, and 1,2-bis-aryl hydrazine derivatives were prepared from the cyanoethanohydrazone obtained. The DFT calculations and experiment outcomes were consistent. In vitro screening of their antiproliferative efficacy was examined against HCT116 and MCF7 cancer cell lines. The pyrazolone 2 and cyanoethanohydrazone 5 derivatives exhibited the most potency, which was demonstrated by their molecular docking towards the CDK-5 enzyme. The binding energies of compounds 2 and 5 were − 6.6320 kcal/mol (with RMSD of 0.9477 Å) and − 6.5696 kcal/mol (with RMSD of 1.4889 Å), respectively, which were near to that of co-crystallized ligand (EFP). This implies a notably strong binding affinity towards the CDK-5 enzyme. Thus, pyrazolone derivative 2 would be considered a promising candidate for further optimization to develop new chemotherapeutic agents. In addition, the ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) analyses displayed its desirable drug-likeness and oral bioavailability properties.

Antimicrobial, Cytotoxic, and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activities of Ethanol Extract and Chemical Constituents Isolated from Homotrigona apicalis Propolis-In Vitro and Molecular Docking Studies.

The chemical investigation of Homotrigona apicalis propolis collected in Binh Dinh province, Vietnam, led to the isolation of nine compounds, including four sesquiterpenes: spathulenol (1), 1αH,5βH-aromandendrane-4β,10α-diol (2), 1β,6α-dihydroxy-4(15)-eudesmene (3), and 1βH,5βH-aromandendrane-4α,10β-diol (4); three triterpenes: acetyl oleanolic acid (5), 3α-hydroxytirucalla-8,24-dien-21-oic acid (6), and ursolic acid (7); and two xanthones: cochinchinone A (8) and α-mangostin (9). Sesquiterpens 1-4 and triterpene 6 were isolated for the first time from stingless bee propolis. Plants in the Cratoxylum and Aglaia genus were suggested as resin sources of the propolis sample. In the antibacterial activity evaluation, the EtOH extract only showed moderate activity on S. aureus, while the isolated compounds 7-9 showed good antibacterial activity, with IC50 values of 0.56 to 17.33 µg/mL. The EtOH extract displayed selective cytotoxicity against the A-549 cancer cell line, with IC50 values of 22.82 ± 0.86 µg/mL, and the xanthones 8 and 9 exhibited good activity against the KB, HepG-2, and A-549 cancer cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 7.55 ± 0.25 µg/mL to 29.27 ± 2.07 µg/mL. The cytotoxic effects of xanthones 8 and 9 were determined by the inhibition of the EGFR and HER2 pathways using a molecular docking study. Compounds 8 and 9 displayed strong binding affinity with EFGR and HER2, with values of -9.3 to -9.9 kcal/mol. Compounds 5, 8, and 9 showed potential α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, which were further confirmed by computational studies. The binding energies of compounds 5, 8, and 9 were lower than that of arcabose.

Chemical Characterization, In-silico Evaluation, and Molecular Docking Analysis of Antiproliferative Compounds Isolated from the Bark of Anthocephalus cadamba Miq.

The present study aimed to isolate and characterize chemical compounds from Anthocephalus cadamba Miq. bark and evaluate their anticancer activity by in silico, molecular docking, and in vitro studies. Anthocephalus cadamba is a traditionally used Indian medicinal plant. The anticancer and phytochemical properties of this plant remain unexplored except for a few studies. The objective of the study was to evaluate the antiproliferative activity of extract and fractions against breast cancer and prostate cancer cell lines and isolate and characterize active compounds from bio-active guided fractions. Moreover, the anticancer activity of isolated compounds against breast and prostate cancer cell lines was also evaluated, in addition to in silico and molecular docking interactions of isolated compounds with VEGFR2 and PDGFRα target proteins. The compounds were isolated and purified with the help of repeated column chromatography, and spectral techniques, such as 1D, 2D NMR, and GC-MS/MS, were used to identify and elucidate the structure of the compounds. Moreover, prediction of activity spectra for substances, physiochemical properties, bioactivity radar prediction, bioactivity score, natural-product likeness, ADME, and toxicity parameters of isolated compounds (AC-1 to AC-4) was performed through various in-silico databases and servers. To evaluate the docking interaction profile and binding energies of compounds, three docking tools were utilized, such as AutoDock, AutoDock Vina, and iGEMDOCK, against two targets VEGFR2 and PDGFRα. MD simulation was performed through ligand and receptor molecular dynamic server (LARMD). It was found that the A. cadamba bark chloroform fraction demonstrated a significant inhibitory effect against MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and PC-3 cells in a dose-time-dependent manner. The bioassay-guided isolation afforded four molecules AC-1 to AC-4 from chloroform fraction. Moreover, the GC-MS/MS profiling identified fourteen new molecules which were not reported earlier from A. cadamba. The in-silico study showed that the isolated compounds (AC-1 to AC-4) followed Lipinski's rule and had good oral bioavailability. While compound AC-4 had positive bioactivity scores except for kinase inhibitor activity. The ADMET profiling revealed that AC-4 was non-toxic and easily absorbed in the human intestine, and transportable in the blood-brain barrier compared to AC-1, AC-2, AC-3, and standard drug doxorubicin. Molecular docking and MD simulation assessment also signified AC-4 anticancer activity with dual inhibitory action against the target proteins VEGFR2 and PDGFRα amongst the studied compounds. The in vitro cell viability assay of isolated compounds demonstrated that AC-1 showed IC50 (μg/mL) value of 34.96 ±3.91, 47.76±3.80 69.1±4.96, AC-2; 68.26±4.22, 54.03±5.14, >100, AC-3; 35.34±4.14, 51.5±51.5, 70.8±5.25 and AC-4; 44.2±3.57, 24.2±2.67, 51.2±2.54 for MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and PC-3 cancer cell lines, respectively and compared with standard drug doxorubicin. Moreover, fluorescence microscopy confirmed the apoptogenic property of compounds. We also found that AC-4 exhibited significant intracellular ROS production in breast cancer cells, thereby inducing apoptosis and eventually cell death. In conclusion, A. cadamba afforded four pure molecules AC-1 to AC-4 with the identification of fourteen new compounds. The entire in-silico studies concluded that the AC-4 compound had better oral bioavailability, bioactivity score, and ADMET profile among studied molecules. Molecular docking analysis and MD simulation also supported AC-4 dual inhibitory action against both VEGFR2 and PDGFRα receptors. Moreover, the isolated molecules AC-1, AC-2, AC-3, and AC-4 were found to be active against MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and PC-3 cancer cells. The molecule AC-4 was found to induce ROS-mediated apoptosis in breast cancer cells. It was found that the anticancer inhibitory potentiality of AC-4 is directed to its molecular stereochemistry which specifically binds to the target proteins of breast cancer cells with no toxicological effect. Therefore, AC-4 is suggested to be an effective aspirant for novel drug design and discovery.

4-AMINOQUINOLINE DERIVATIVES AS ANTIMALARIAL AGENTS: MOLECULAR DOCKING STUDI

Malaria is a parasite disease that can be lethal and is carried by mosquitoes. Scoring techniques that can evaluate intermolecular binding affinity or binding free energy are used to optimise and rank the molecular docking process. 15 variants of 4-aminoquinoline were docked in the binding pocket of the Oxidoreductase protein using the docking server's Ligand fit module (1ldg.pdb). The results demonstrated that the binding energies of compounds (N-(2-amino propyl)-7-chloro-quinoline-4-amine), (3-(3-(7-chloroquinolin-4-yl amino)propyl)-2-phenyl-1,3thiazinan-4-one), and (3-(3-(7-chloroquinolin -4-ylamino)propoyl)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)-1,3thiazinan-4-one). As a result, three of the fifteen compounds will effectively combat various plasmodium strains. Future attempts by other researchers to produce new antimalarial drugs may benefit from additional study to synthesise these powerful compounds and assess their performance.

Synthesis and characterization of ferrocene-based thiosemicarbazones along with their computational studies for potential as inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2

Ferrocene and its derivatives are vital class of organometallic compounds having extensive biological activities. Six novel ferrocene-based thiosemicarbazones have been synthesized through the condensation reaction of acetyl ferrocene with differently substituted thiosemicarbazide. Furthermore, we used state-of-the-art computational docking approach to explore the theoretical aspects for possible antiviral potential of our synthesized compounds. All the six compounds were docked with Mpro protein of SARS-CoV-2, which is very crucial protein for viral replication. Among the six derivatives, compounds 2 and 4 showed higher binding affinities with binding energy of − 6.7 and − 6.9 kcal/mol, respectively. The visualization of intermolecular interactions between synthesized derivatives and Mpro protein illustrated that each of compounds 2 and 4 forms two hydrogen bonds accompanied by important hydrophobic interactions. The comparison of binding affinities with some recently approved drugs like remdesivir, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine molecules are also made. The calculated binding energies of remdesivir, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine molecules with Mpro of COVID-19 was found to be − 7.00, − 5.20 and − 5.60 kcal/mol, respectively. The binding energy of compound 4 (− 6.9 kcal/mol) was almost equal to the remdesivir and greater than the binding energies of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. It is expected from the current investigation that our synthesized ferrocene-based thiosemicarbazones might have potential for drug against SARS-CoV-2.Graphical abstract Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13738-021-02346-1.

In silico study the interaction of heterocyclic bases with peptide moieties of proteins in the "fragment-to-fragment" approach

The binding affinity of model peptide moieties (Pept) and heterocyclic bases involving 1,3-oxazoles that are condensed with pyridine and pyrimidine as pharmacophores (Pharm) was investigated in silico and analyzed within the «fragment-to-fragment» approach. The anellation of the heterocyclic rings increasing their acceptor properties is accompanied by gaining stability of the [Pharm-Pept] complexes formed by the π,π-stacking interaction. It was found that elongation of the polypeptide chain led to a twofold increase of the stabilization energy of the [Pharm-Pept] complexes. The stability of the hydrogen bonding ([HB]) [Pharm-BioM] complexes formed by means of the interaction between the dicoordinated nitrogen atom of the heterocycle and the functional groups of peptide amino acids (-OH, -NH2, -SH) was evaluated. It was demonstrated that [HB]-complexes that were formed by hydrogen bonds formation with amino acid that contained OH groups had the largest stabilization effect. The anellation with pyridine and pyrimidine rings led to stability increase of the complexes formed by the hydrogen bonding mechanism. The binding energy of [HB]-complexes for compounds 2b and 3 with a «free» peptide bond of the extended part of the protein is lower compared to amino acids with OH-functional groups. On the contrary, the binding energy of compound 4 with peptides was 2 kcal/mol higher. Compound 4 demonstrated the most pronounced biological activity in vitro studies.

Alpha glucosidase inhibition activity of phenolic fraction from Simarouba glauca: An in-vitro, in-silico and kinetic study

A phenolic rich fraction purified from Simarouba glauca leaves was effective in alpha glucosidase inhibition. The purified fraction named ‘fraction-14’ had shown significant inhibition of yeast alpha glucosidase enzyme activity (IC50 = 2.4 ± 0.4 μg/mL) when compared to anti-diabetic drug acarbose (IC50 = 2450 ± 24 μg/mL). The purified fraction also had reasonable DPPH (IC50 = 14.4 ± 0.1 μg/mL) and ABTS (IC50 = 7.6 ± 0.5 μg/mL) free radical scavenging activity when compared to the standard ascorbic acid. The LC-MS analysis of bioactive ‘fraction-14’ revealed four compounds, eclalbasaponin-v (1), cyanidin-3-O-(2′galloyl)-galactoside (2), kaempferol-3-O-glucoside (3) and kaempferol-3-O-pentoside (4) for the first time in S. glauca in this study. The kinetic study of the ‘fraction-14’ indicates a mixed type of inhibition on the alpha glucosidase enzyme with Ki, 6.2 μg/mL. Docking studies showed promising binding energy for the compounds 2 (-7.769 kJ/mol), 3 (-7.04 kJ/mol) and 4 (-7.127 kJ/mol) against yeast alpha glucosidase which was better than acarbose (-6.867 kJ/mol). In conclusion, the phenolic rich fraction from S. glauca possessing good in-vitro antioxidant property and alpha glucosidase enzyme inhibition potential along with mixed inhibition kinetics. Also, better binding energy of compounds (1, 2 & 3) appears to contain potential lead-molecule for antidiabetic therapy.

MOLECULAR DOCKING OF ANTITRYPANOSOMAL INHIBITORS FROM EUCALYPTUS TERETICORNIS FOR SLEEPING SICKNESS

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the antitrypanosomal inhibitors of Eucalyptus tereticornis for sleeping sickness through molecular docking and studies on Absorption distribution metabolism excursion and toxicology (ADMET).
 Methods: In silico molecular docking in ArgusLab software and ADMET analysis in AdmetSAR software was performed for the antitrypanosomal inhibitors of E. tereticornis for sleeping sickness.
 Results: Interactions were studied for the ten proteins responsible for sleeping sickness with the 50 antitrypanosomal inhibitors of E. tereticornis. Docking was performed to see the interaction and the best binding energy of compounds with the proteins involved in sleeping sickness. The docking scores were highest for betulonic acid with −15.66 kcal/mol followed by euglobal with −12.24 kcal/mol, B-pinene with −10.313 kcal/mol, A-pinene with −10.3418 kcal/mol, and the least docking score for P-cymene with −10.6045 kcal/mol. Docking results showed that only betulonic acid and euglobal showed that hydrogen bond interaction was as b-pinene, a-pinene, and p-cymene yielded no hydrogen bond interactions so we will be taking the former docking results for further studies. The best docking result was shown by betulonic acid with trypanothione reductase giving binding energy of −15.66 kcal/mol with hydrogen bond interaction of 2.9, so this result was taken for further analysis.
 Conclusion: The results of the compound extracted from E. tereticornis will become physiological relevant only when (i) the pure compounds of this plant is available in large quantities; (ii) the Eucalyptus is biochemically stabilized to avoid degradation and enhance absorption in the gastrointestinal tract; and (iii) special delivery methods for this drug to reach the areas of treatment. In this work, the efficacy of E. tereticornis to act against trypanosomal protein was initiated and thus further research in this process would help us to take full advantage of the remedial effects of the compounds extracted from this plant.

Inhibition of recombinant enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase from Candida glabrata by α-asarone-based synthetic compounds as antifungal agents

Due to increasing resistance of Candida species to antifungal drugs, especially azoles, new drugs are needed. The proposed compounds 3 and 4 are analogous to α-asarone (2), a naturally occurring potent inhibitor of HMGR with hypolipidemic and antifungal activity. We used the recombinant enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase of Candida glabrata (CgHMGR) as a model to test the effectiveness of the test compounds. Compounds 3 and 4 demonstrated inhibitory kinetics, having lower IC50 values (42.65 μM and 28.77 μM, respectively) than compound 2 (>100 μM). The docking studies showed better binding energies for compounds 3 and 4 (−5.35 and −6.1 kcal/mol, respectively) than for compound 2 (−4.53 kcal/mol). These findings suggest that the tested compounds are better than their natural analogue. Plaque assays were performed on the C. glabrata strain CBS138 by applying ergosterol or cholesterol to evaluate the possible reversal of the inhibition induced by compounds 2, 3 and 4. Inhibition was easily suppressed in all three cases, recovering the viability of C. glabrata. These results reveal that the CgHMGR model is excellent for testing antifungals. Compound 4 produced the best effect and is herein proposed as a new potent antifungal agent.

Coumarins from Angelica decursiva inhibit α-glucosidase activity and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B

In the present study, we investigated the anti-diabetic potential of six natural coumarins, 4-hydroxy Pd-C-III (1), 4′-methoxy Pd-C-I (2), decursinol (3), decursidin (4), umbelliferone 6-carboxylic acid (5), and 2′-isopropyl psoralene (6) isolated from Angelica decursiva and evaluated their inhibitory activities against protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), α-glucosidase, and ONOO−-mediated protein tyrosine nitration. Coumarins 1–6 showed potent PTP1B and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities with ranges of IC50 values of 5.39–58.90 μM and 65.29–172.10 μM, respectively. In the kinetic study for PTP1B enzyme inhibition, compounds 1, 5, and 6 were competitive, whereas 2 and 4 showed mixed type, and 3 displayed noncompetitive type inhibition. For α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition, compounds 1 and 3 exhibited good mixed-type, while 2, 5, and 6 showed noncompetitive and 4 displayed competitive type inhibition. Furthermore, these coumarins also effectively suppressed ONOO−-mediated tyrosine nitration in a dose-dependent manner. To further investigate PTP1B inhibition, we generated a 3D structure of PTP1B using Autodock 4.2 and simulated the binding of compounds 1–6. Docking simulations showed that different residues of PTP1B interacted with different functional groups of compounds 1–6 through hydrogen and hydrophobic interactions. In addition, the binding energies of compounds 1–6 were negative, suggesting that hydrogen bonding may stabilize the open form of the enzyme and potentiate tight binding of the active site of PTP1B, thereby resulting in more effective PTP1B inhibition. These results demonstrate that the whole plant of A. decursiva and its coumarins are useful as potential functional food ingredients for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Electronic structure of alkaline metal hydrides according to MO LCAO-SCF-CNDO cluster calculations

This paper presents the results of a quantum chemical study of compounds MH (M = Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs) in a cluster approximation. The calculations were performed by the MO LCAO-SCF-CNDO method (special variation which proved to be effective for studying model systems of high-temperature superconductors). The calculation reproduces the expected electron density distribution on the hydrogen and metal atoms in the hydrides as well as the energy characteristics: M-H and M-M bond energ.es and the binding energies of compounds. The latter qualitatively correlate with the bond energies in the series of compounds LiH-CsH. The calculated Fermi energies and forbidden gaps at the Fermi level suggest that in the series being investigated a perfect crystal of lithium hydride will have the highest electric resistance. It is established that the quantum chemical characteristics of the electronic structure of MH change nonmonotonically from Li to Cs.

Crossed beam measurement of binding energies of positronium compounds: A proposal

We describe an experiment to establish the chemical stability and measure the binding energies of compounds containing positronium atoms. The method consists of crossing a monoenergetic beam of low energy (1–25 eV) positrons with a supersonic adiabatic expansion molecular beam, and, after a dissociative attachment reaction takes place, detecting the resulting ignature ion while measuring its kinetic energy. Except for the use of a positron beam instead of an electron beam, this is similar to electron impact MS/IKES (mass spectrometry/ion kinetic energy spectrometry). The start signal for the IKES measurement is provided by the remoderation of the positron beam. Among the benefits of the proposed research are the study of: (1) a new class of resonances, those involving temporarily bound positrons to molecules in excited electronic states; and (2) the surprising sub-threshold fragmentation observed by Surko and Hulett in positron-molecule scattering.