Molecular Docking, Drug-Likeness and ADMET Analysis, Application of Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Molecular Dynamics (MD) Simulation to the Phytochemicals from Withania Somnifera as a Potential Antagonist of Estrogen Receptor Alpha (ER-α)

Theoretical analysis of OLED performances of some aromatic nitrogen-containing ligands

It is well-known that tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) complex and N,N'diphenyl-N,N'-bis(3-methylphenyl)-1,1'-diphenyl-4,4'-diamine compound (TPD) are widely used as electron transfer material (ETL) and hole transfer material (HTL) in organic light emitting diode (OLED) structure, respectively. Considering the reference materials, in the present work, the OLED performances of some cyclic aromatic structures such as 4,4'azopyridine [AZPY], 4,4'-bipyridine [BIPY], 1,2-bis[4'-(4-methylphenyl)2,2':6'2″-terpyridin6-yl]ethyne (BISTERPY), 5,5'-diamino-2,2'-bipyridine (DABP), dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'c]phenazine (DPP), 4,7-phenanthroline (PHEN) including nitrogen atom have been theoretically analyzed. It is important to note that B3LYP/6-31G(d) and B3LYP/TZP levels of the theory were taken into account for the calculations about monomeric and dimeric structures, respectively. Additionally, the calculations of the mentioned monomeric form were performed at B3LYP-D3/6-31G, CAM-B3LYP/6-31G and ωB97X-D/6-31G(d) levels. For a detailed theoretical analysis, the reorganization energies (λe and λh), adiabatic and vertical ionization potentials and electron affinities, the effective transfer integrals (Ve and Vh), and the charge transfer rates (We and Wh) of all compounds were computed by means of computational chemistry tools. In the light of calculated parameters, it is determined that these mentioned aromatic cyclic structures will be used in which layers of OLED structure. The results obtained in this study will be helpful in the design and applications of new molecules as OLED materials in the future.

Phytoconstituents of Withania somnifera unveiled Ashwagandhanolide as a potential drug targeting breast cancer: Investigations through computational, molecular docking and conceptual DFT studies

Breast cancer is the second most common malignancy in females worldwide and poses a great challenge that necessitates the identification of novel therapeutic agents from several sources. This research aimed to study the molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations of four proteins (such as PDB: 6CBZ, 1FDW, 5GWK and 2WTT) with the selected phytochemicals from Withania somnifera to identify the potential inhibitors for breast cancer. The molecular docking result showed that among 44 compounds, two of them, Ashwagandhanolide and Withanolide sulfoxide have the potential to inhibit estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), 17-beta-hydroxysteroid -dehydrogenase type 1 (17β-HSD1), topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A) and p73 tetramerization domain that are expressed during breast cancer. The molecular dynamics (MD) simulations results suggested that Ashwagandhanolide remained inside the binding cavity of four targeted proteins and contributed favorably towards forming a stable protein-ligand complex throughout the simulation. Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion and Toxicity (ADMET) properties confirmed that Ashwagandhanolide is hydrophobic and has moderate intestinal permeability, good intestinal absorption, and poor skin permeability. The compound has a relatively low VDss value (-1.652) and can be transported across ABC transporter and good central nervous system (CNS) permeability but did not easily cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This compound does not possess any mutagenicity, hepatotoxicity and skin sensitization. Based on the results obtained, the present study highlights the anticancer potential of Ashwagandhanolide, a compound from W. somnifera. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo studies are necessary to perform before clinical trials to prove the potentiality of Ashwagandhanolide.

An In Silico Investigation to Explore Anti-Cancer Potential of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. Phytoconstituents for the Management of Human Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the world. Traditionally, medicinal plants have been used to cure various types of diseases and disorders. Based on a literature survey, the current study was undertaken to explore the anticancer potential of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. phytoconstituents against breast cancer target protein (PDB ID: 6CHZ) by the molecular docking technique. Molecular docking was done using Autodock/vina software. Toxicity was predicted by the Protox II server and drug likeness was predicted by Molinspiration. 100 ns MD simulation of the best protein-ligand complexes were done using the Amber 18 tool. The present molecular docking investigation has revealed that among the 40 selected phytoconstituents of F. vulgare, α-pinene and D-limonene showed best binding energy (−6 and −5.9 kcal/mol respectively) with the breast cancer target. α-Pinene and D-limonene followed all the parameters of toxicity, and 100 ns MD simulations of α-pinene and D-limonene complexes with 6CHZ were found to be stable. α-Pinene and D-limonene can be used as new therapeutic agents to cure breast cancer.