Density functional theory, molecular docking, In vitro and In vivo anti-inflammatory investigation of lapachol isolated from Fernandoaadenophylla

Thymidine Phosphorylase Inhibitory Potential and Molecular Docking Studies of Secondary Metabolites Isolated From Fernandoa adenophylla (Wall. ex G. Don) Steenis

This study investigates the potential of Fernandoa adenophylla, a South American plant, as a reservoir of compounds with thymidine phosphorylase (TP) inhibitory activity. Through a comprehensive approach combining in vitro assays and molecular docking analysis, we isolated and characterized bioactive compounds from F. adenophylla, including lapachol, alpha-lapachone, Peshawaraquinone, dehydro-α-lapachone, and indanone derivative (Methyl-1,2-dihydroxy-2-(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)-3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-indene-1carboxylate). Our results reveal substantial TP inhibition by these compounds, with Lapachol (1) and Indanone derivative (5) demonstrating notable potency, exhibiting IC50 values of 2.3 ± 0.1 and 1.8 ± 0.5 µM, respectively. Molecular docking analysis supported experimental in-vitro results, revealing strong binding affinities of the tested compounds toward both human TP and Escherichia coli TP, with the indanone derivatives exhibiting the most favorable binding energies (-7.50 and -7.80 kcal/mol, respectively). Key interactions with important catalytic residues were identified, highlighting these natural products' structural complementarity and binding stability. These docking results correlate well with the observed in vitro inhibitory activities, reinforcing the compounds' therapeutic relevance. This study underscores the therapeutic potential of F. adenophylla-derived compounds as effective TP inhibitors, highlighting the significance of natural products in drug discovery.

DFT/TDDFT calculations of geometry optimization, electronic structure and spectral properties of clevudine and telbivudine for treatment of chronic hepatitis B

Chronic hepatitis B remains a worldwide health concern. Presently, many drugs, such as Clevudine and Telbivudine, are recommended for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B disease. For this purpose, the quantum chemical analysis of ELUMO-HOMO (Egap), ionization potential (IP), electron affinity (EA), electronegativity (EN), chemical hardness (η), chemical potential (μ), chemical softness (S), electrophilicity index (ω), electron accepting capability (ω+), electron-donating capability (ω-), Nucleophilicity index (N), additional electronic charge (∆Nmax), Optical softness (σ0) and Dipole Moment, IR and UV-Vis spectra, molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) profile, Mulliken charge analysis, natural bond orbital (NBO) were examined in this study. The dipole moment of the compounds suggests their binding pose and predicted binding affinity. The electrophilic and nucleophilic regions were identified, and techniques such as NBO, UV-Vis, and IR were used to gain insights into the molecular structure, electronic transitions, and potential drug design for Hepatitis B treatment. Calculations for this study were carried out using the Gaussian 09 program package coupled with the DFT/TDDFT technique. The hybrid B3LYP functional method and the 6-311++G(d, p) basis set were used for the calculations.