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Showing papers in "Letters in Drug Design & Discovery in 2021"



Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a lead compound that could fit well into the binding sites of docked proteins of SARS-CoV-2 encoded proteins.
Abstract: Background: Recently, Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by a fatal strain of coronavirus named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 11 March 2020. Globally, no therapy such as vaccines and specific therapeutic agents is available so far despite some protease inhibitors and antiviral agents. Introduction: Due to no therapeutic drug or vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 so far, phytomedicine may be developed as therapeutic agents in the prevention and treatment of current COVID-19 disease. Thus, the aim of this study was to find out a suitable therapeutic agent from selected 17 dietary molecules, which could target SARS-CoV-2 encoded proteins. Materials and Methods: In this study, 3D structures of selected dietary molecules were obtained from the PubChem database, which have previously been reported for their antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects. Then, molecular docking analysis by using AutoDoc4 and AutoDockVina software was conducted to evaluate their anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity. Lipinski's rule of five and drug-likeness properties were also discussed with the help of Molinspiration and the OSIRIS property explorer methods. Results: Our results revealed that, among all, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) (7) is a lead compound that could fit well into the binding sites of docked proteins of SARS-CoV-2. EGCG showed very strong molecular interactions with the free enzyme of main protease (6y2e), chimeric receptorbinding domain complexed with human ACE2 (6vw1), and NSP15 endoribonuclease (6vww) encoded proteins of SARS-CoV-2, by showing binding energies -9.30, -8.66, and -8.38, kcal/mole, respectively. Conclusion: In the present study, EGCG (7) is more active than two standard drugs that are currently being used in COVID 19, namely remdesivir and nafamostat. Therefore, EGCG (7), as per our results, might be explored as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of COVID-19.

9 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The obtained anthraquinonehydrazones constitute an interesting template for the design of new synthetic agents with polypharmacological activities.
Abstract: Anthraquinone derivatives, frequently occurring motifs in many various natural compounds, have attracted a great deal of interest as compounds with a wide spectrum of biological activities. The hybrid pharmacophore approach has become an object of considerable interest due to the incorporation of a five- or six-membered heterocyclic rings in the structure of various natural compounds, especially anthraquinone derivatives. A series of polyfunctionalized anthraquinonehydrazones have been synthesized via the azo-coupling reaction between anthraquinone-based triazenes and methylene active compounds. The structures of synthesized compounds were confirmed by spectral data. Some of the synthesized compounds were screened for their in vitro anticancer activity according to US NCI protocols. The screening of antimicrobial and antifungal activities against Candida albicans and Lactobacillus sp. was carried out. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antioxidant (DPPH free radical scavenging assay) and herbicidal activity. The synthesized 1-[N'-(5-oxo-2-thioxoimidazolidin-4-ylidene)-hydrazino]-anthraquinone 1.5 displayed a high level of antimitotic activity against tested human tumor cells with mean GI50/TGI values 4.06/78.52μM. The screening of antimicrobial and antifungal activities led to the identification of 1.8 and 1.9 with a moderate effect on Candida albicans and Lactobacillus sp. Antioxidant activity evaluation allowed the identification of 1-[N'-(3-methyl-5-oxo-1-phenyl-1,5- dihydropyrazol-4-ylidene)-hydrazino]-anthraquinone 1.8 with an IC50 value of 3.715 mM. The herbicidal activity screening led to compound identification 1.8 with growth inhibition of Agrostis stolonifera at 25 %. The obtained anthraquinonehydrazones constitute an interesting template for the design of new synthetic agents with polypharmacological activities.

6 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The biomolecule isolated from less explored Morus laevigata exhibiting higher antibacterial effect among the compounds tested warranted opening a new prospect in phytomedicinal research for exploring its pharmacological properties and lowering the utilization load present on highly explore Morus alba.
Abstract: The genus Morus is one of the rich sources of phytomedicine and considered a beneficial natural source for drugs with potential antimicrobial effect under the traditional system of medicine. In the present study, three bioactive compounds isolated from the leaves of two species of genus Morus and their antibacterial effect against selective pathogens were assessed. The inhibitory effects of the three molecules isolated were assessed for their minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) against selected pathogens. The in-silico studies provided the toxicity profile and the binding interactions with glucosamine- 6-phosphate synthase for all the isolates. Among the three compounds tested, cathafuran-B showed a prominent bacteriostatic and bactericidal effect, which is supported by the results of in-silico analysis suggesting that cathafuran- B could be a potential glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase inhibitor. The biomolecule isolated from less explored Morus laevigata exhibiting higher antibacterial effect among the compounds tested warranted opening a new prospect in phytomedicinal research for exploring its pharmacological properties and lowering the utilization load present on highly explored Morus alba.

6 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Insight into multi-target protein compounds which could be explored as chemotherapeutic alternatives in breast cancer treatment is provided through computational screening of a library of medicinal plants compounds.
Abstract: Cancer is a multifactorial disease with multiple complications involving multiple proteins. Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer among women. The pathophysiology of this cancer form has implicated several genetic alterations in its hallmark. Two of the most studied breast cancer molecular pathways are the cell cycle protein kinases and P13/AKT signalling pathway. Objective: Thus, this study identified novel inhibitors through computational screening of a library of medicinal plants compounds against cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), phosphoinositide-3-kinase A (PI3Ka) and protein kinase B (AKT1). Rigid protein docking via Glide algorithm was applied to identify the hits from 3000 plants compounds screened against three drug targets involved in breast cancer pathogenesis. A more accurate and reliable ligand-protein docking called induced fit docking was adopted to extensively improve the scoring function by ranking favourable binding as top-scoring one. Results: Nine hit compounds were identified and found to interact with essential residues at the proteins’ binding sites. Subsequently, the hits pharmacokinetic parameters and toxicity were predicted to determine their potential as drug candidates and minimise toxic effects. The hit compounds were found to be non-carcinogenic, and five of them showed a desirable drug-like property. The built predictive QSAR models with an R2 value of 0.7684, 0.7973 and 0.5649 for CDK2, AKT1 and PI3Ka, respectively were adopted to determine the hits inhibitory activity (pIC50) against the screened proteins; and the predictions revealed compounds with significant activity. Three thousand (3000) compounds from diverse medicinal plants were docked with CDK2, AKT1 and PI3Ka to identify the top-scoring compounds using Glide algorithm scoring function. The identified compounds with low binding energies against the three targets were subsequently subjected to a more accurate and reliable ligand-protein docking called induced fit docking to extensively improve the compounds binding affinity with the proteins. Nine (9) compounds identified as hits were found to form highly stable complexes with the proteins and interacted with essential residues at the proteins’ binding sites. Prediction of the hit compounds drug-likeness, pharmacokinetic and toxicity properties by online web servers showed that the compounds are non-carcinogenic and showed moderate indices for ADMET parameters. The constructed QSAR models with reliable R2 coefficient value were used to predict the pIC50 of the selected compounds. The results revealed potent compounds with significant activity. Concluson: This study thus provides insight into multi-target protein compounds which could be explored as chemotherapeutic alternatives in breast cancer treatment.

6 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The new design boron and silicon-based molecules appeared to be promising candidates for breast cancer treatment to be tested in vitro, in vivo, and in the clinic for further pharmacological investigations.
Abstract: The breast cancer takes the first place among women cancer diagnosed worldwide. Based on the preferential multi-targeted approach on cancer therapy, we, in this study, aimed to design in silico drug candidates possessing multi-targeted bioactivity to cope with multi-drug resistance using the known drug structures, molecular modeling, and ADME parameters. We first evaluated the bioactivity score of the approved breast cancer drugs across the top-three drug targets GPCR, kinase, and nuclear receptors and calculated their physicochemical properties to see their drug-likeness profiles. Among 29 approved drugs, Aromasin and Capecitabine showed the broadest bioactivity across the targets listed. By using molecular modeling and bioisosteric modifications, and applying two filtering approaches, we investigated thirty-one analogues of Aromasin and Capecitabine. Software prediction resulted in that the compounds A14, C4, and C13 replaced with B(OH)2 and/or Si(CH3)3 showed a broader spectrum of biological activity with a multi-targeted manner than even the approved analogs. The interesting point of these new design molecules is to have either silicon and/or boron incorporation. The increased bioactivity effect of Silicon and Boron incorporation is also seen in the recently approved drug list of FDA and in clinical trials ongoing. Our new design boron and silicon-based molecules appeared to be promising candidates for breast cancer treatment to be tested in vitro, in vivo, and in the clinic for further pharmacological investigations.

4 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: These studies have awakened the property of Biscoumarins as promising antitubercular scaffolds as they exhibit moderate neutrophil functions assuring that they do not harm the functioning of Neutrophils.
Abstract: Biscoumarin scaffolds are known for their promising pharmacological properties. These compounds have not been studied for their activity against tuberculosis strains. Unveil the antitubercular properties of biscoumarin scaffolds. Biscoumarin derivatives (3a-3l) were synthesized using lemon juice as a catalyst and were investigated for their in-vitro anti-tubercular activity against the H37Rv strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using Microplate Alamar Blue Assay Method (MABA). Their binding interaction was investigated by Molecular Docking Studies using InhA with PDB-ID: 2NSD as target receptors in the H37Rv strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These derivatives (3a-3l) were subjected to the neutrophil function test. The results revealed that compounds 3b, 3c, 3d, 3f, 3i, 3j showed excellent activity with MIC 1.6μg/mL. Molecular docking interactions for their antitubercular activity proved that the derivatives (3a-3l) can easily bind into the pockets of the enzyme. Neutrophil function test signified that they exhibit moderate neutrophil functions assuring that they do not harm the functioning of Neutrophils. These studies have awakened the property of Biscoumarins as promising antitubercular scaffolds.

3 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: There has been an attempt to explore the small molecule library having an α-tetralone scaffold along with their diverse biological activities and structural features of α- tetralone derivatives responsible for potential therapeutic applications are described.
Abstract: Substituted tetralones have played a substantial role in organic synthesis due to their strong reactivity and suitability as a starting material for a range of synthetic heterocyclic compounds, pharmaceuticals along with biological activities as well as precursors of many natural products and their derivatives. Many α-tetralone derivatives are building blocks that have been used in the synthesis of therapeutically functional compounds like some antibiotics, antidepressants, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors effective for treating Alzheimer’s disease and alkaloids possessing antitumor activity. In this review, there has been an attempt to explore the small molecule library having an α-tetralone scaffold along with their diverse biological activities. Structural features of α- tetralone derivatives responsible for potential therapeutic applications are also described.

2 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The binding efficiency and repurposing potential of certain HCV protease inhibitors against to SARS-CoV-2 PLpro enzyme is explained and can promote promising preliminary data for research on drug development in the fight of Covid-19.
Abstract: Background: SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus that caused a pandemic respiratory disease, has recently emerged from China. Since it is a life-threatening virus, investigation of curative medications along with protective vaccines still maintains its importance. Drug repurposing is a reasonable and immediate approach to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection by identifying inhibitory molecules from marketed drugs. PL protease (PLpro) is one of the essential enzymes for the progression of SARS-CoV-2 replication and life cycle. Objective: We aimed to investigate the potential of 4 HCV protease inhibitors as probable repurposing drugs in Covid-19 treatment. Methods: In order to understand possible binding affinity of HCV protease inhibitors, Boceprevir, Grazoprevir, Simeprevir, and Telaprevir, against PLpro, we performed docking analysis in silico. Docking study was accomplished using AutoDock 4.2 Software. Potential druggable pockets on PLpro were predicted by DoGSiteScorer tool in order to explore any overlapping with binding regions and these pockets. Results: This analysis demonstrated Boceprevir, Grazoprevir, Simeprevir and Telaprevir interacted by PLpro with binding energies (kcal/mol) of-4.97, -4.24, -6.98, -1.08, respectively. Asn109, one of the interacted residues with both Boceprevir and Simeprevir, is a neighbouring residue to catalytic Cys111. Additionally, Telaprevir notably interacted with catalytic His272 in the active site. Conclusion: Present study explains the binding efficiency and repurposing potential of certain HCV protease inhibitors against to SARS-CoV-2 PLpro enzyme. Docking sites and potential druggability of ligands were also crosschecked by the estimation of druggable pockets. Thereby our results can promote promising preliminary data for research on drug development in the fight of Covid-19.

2 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The sulfonamide and sulfonate derivatives of quinoline were found to have promising anti-inflammatory activity as discussed by the authors, however, most of the compounds were moderately active, while the rest of them were inactive.
Abstract: Quinolines are an important class of heterocyclic compounds possessing a wide range of biological activities. Previously, we had identified Schiff bases of quinoline as potential anti-inflammatory agents, thus the current work is the continuation of our previous study. In the current study, 3-, 5-, and 8-sulfonamide and 8-sulfonate derivatives of quinoline (1-50) were synthesized and their anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated. These synthetic analogs were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity via ROS (Reactive oxygen species) inhibitory effect produced from phagocytes from human whole blood. The sulfonamide and sulfonate derivatives of quinoline were synthesized via treating 5-, 3-, 8-amino, and 8-hydroxy quinolines with different substituted sulfonyl chlorides in pyridine. The synthetic molecules were characterized using various spectroscopic techniques and screened for their anti-inflammatory potential. Among the synthetic derivatives 1-50, six compounds showed good to moderate antiinflammatory activity. Compounds 47 (IC50 = 2.9 ± 0.5 μg/mL), 36 (IC50 = 3.2 ± 0.2 μg/mL), and 24 (IC50 = 6.7 ± 0.3 μg/mL) exhibited enhanced activity as compared to the standard ibuprofen (IC50 = 11.2 ± 1.9 μg/mL). Compounds 20 (IC50 = 25.5 ± 0.7 μg/mL), 50 (IC50 = 42.9 ± 5.6 μg/mL), and 8 (IC50 = 53.9 ± 3.1 μg/mL) were moderately active, however, rest of the compounds were found to be inactive. The sulfonamide and sulfonate derivatives of quinoline were found to have promising anti-inflammatory activity. Further studies on the modification of these molecules may lead to the discovery of new and potential anti-inflammatory agents.

2 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Results showed that 1-ethyl-2-phenyl-3-(phenylethynyl)-1H-indole had antioxidant and antimicrobial properties without cytotoxic effect, which could make it a promising active component with further studies.
Abstract: In this study experiments were carried out to explore antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic properties of novel indole derivative 1-ethyl-2-phenyl-3-phenylethyl-3-thiophen-2-yl-1Hindole (EPI) together with its effect on glutathione S-transferases (GST) activities in human liver carcinoma (HepG2) cells. Indoles probably represent one of the most important heterocyclic structures that have been attracting the interest of many scientists in drug discovery. The present study was carried out to explore antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic properties of novel indole derivative 1-ethyl-2-phenyl-3-phenylethyl-3-thiophen-2-yl-1H-indole (EPI) and its effect on glutathione S-transferases (GST) activities in human liver carcinoma (HepG2) cells. Pd-catalyst Sonogashira coupling reactions, MTT Assay, Antioxidant capacity test, Antimicrobial test, GST enzyme activity test. 1-ethyl-2-phenyl-3-(phenylethynyl)-1H-indole had antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. It displayed significant induction in glutathione S-transferases (GST) enzyme activity in human liver cancer cell lines (HepG2), but cytotoxic effect on all tested cancer cell lines could not be observed. All of these results showed that 1-ethyl-2-phenyl-3-(phenylethynyl)-1H-indole had antioxidant and antimicrobial properties without cytotoxic effect, which could make it a promising active component with further studies.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Natural sesquiterpene lactones are an important class of heterocyclic compounds in drug discovery since they are possessed a wide range of biological properties including antibacterial activity and the antiviral activity against influenza A virus and human orthopneumovirus H-2А was studied.
Abstract: Natural sesquiterpene lactones are an important class of heterocyclic compounds in drug discovery since they are possessed a wide range of biological properties including antibacterial activity. The objective of this study was to synthesize of isoalantolactone derivatives with a furo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2-оne moiety and to evaluate their antibacterial and antiviral activity. The Sonogashira cross-coupling and subsequent Ag-catalyzed cyclization reactions were the main routes of synthesis. The antibacterial activity and the ability to inhibit biofilms formation on E. coli, S. aureus, A. viscosus, P. aeruginosa and E. faecalis bacterial strains were evaluated. A study of the molecular interactions of new compounds with the multiple virulence factor regulators was performed using docking simulations. The antiviral activity against influenza A virus and human orthopneumovirus H-2А was also studied. The in vitro antibacterial activity for 4 (MIC = 58.33±4.41 μg/mL) concerning E. coli and 5 (MIC = 96.5±3.25 μg/mL) against A. viscosus and the inhibition of biofilm formation for compounds 2, 4, and 5 on E. coli, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and E. faecalis bacterial strains has been of interest for the search of improved antimicrobial agents. Compound 3 was endowed with antiviral activity to human orthopneumovirus H-2А with SI >33. The activity of the new type of hybrid compounds is depended on the substituent in the 6th position of furo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2-one fragment. The decoration of isoalantolactone with a furo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2-one fragment led to perspective antiviral and antimicrobial agents. Due to antimicrobial activity, pyridine-4-yl substituted isoalantolactone-furopyrimidinone hybrid is considered as a candidate compound to participate in further research.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The design of a therapeutic vaccine candidate based on L1 and E7 genes from different high- and low-risk HPV types and the favorable transfection efficiency of the designed L1-E7 multiepitope construct is utilizing immunoinformatics tools.
Abstract: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the major risk factor for cervical cancer. Current prophylactic HPV vaccines provide immunity against most genital and carcinogenic HPV types. However, these vaccines failed to produce immune responses against already established HPV infections. For the design of a therapeutic vaccine candidate, we utilized immunoinformatics tools to design a potential multiepitope fusion construct based on L1 and E7 genes from different high- and low-risk HPV types. After determination of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell epitopes, the allergenicity, toxicity, immunogenicity, conservancy, and population coverage were analyzed for epitope selection. Then, the hemolytic probability of the selected epitopes, and molecular docking between major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and the chosen epitopes were performed by different web servers. Next, a multiepitope peptide construct consisting of 12 epitopes linked by the AAY proteasomal sequence was designed. After that, physicochemical properties, solubility, secondary and tertiary structures of this construct were evaluated by bioinformatics tools. Finally, after amino acid reverse translation of the multiepitope peptide construct, expression of the L1-E7 DNA construct (pEGFP-L1-E7) was investigated in HEK-293T cells using fluorescent microscopy, flow cytometry, and western blotting. Considering various parameters, the immunodominant peptides such as L1(MHC-I)-DLDQFPLGRKFLLQ, L1(MHC-II)-NQLFVTVVDTTRSTN, E7-HPV16(MHC-I)-AEPDRAHYNIVTF, E7-HPV18(MHC-I)-HGPKATVQDIVLHL, E7-HPV31(MHC-I)-KPDTSNYNIVTF, E7-HPV33(MHC-I)-RPDGQAQPATADYYI, E7-HPV45(MHC-I)- RTLQQLFLSFV, E7-HPV16(MHC-II)-TLHEYMLDLQPETTD, E7-HPV18(MHC-II)-LRAFQQLFLNTLSFV, E7-HPV31(MHC-II)-PTLQDYVLDLQPEAT, E7-HPV33(MHC-II)-LKEYVLDLYPEPTDL and E7-HPV45(MHC-II)-LQQLFLSTLSFVCPW were determined to design the vaccine construct. The results indicated efficient expression of the L1-E7 DNA construct (74 ± 2.19%) in vitro. Moreover, the polyepitope peptide generated in the cells was detected as a clear band of ~ 50 kDa in western blotting. Regarding the favorable transfection efficiency of the designed L1-E7 multiepitope construct, in vivo validation study on its therapeutic potential is underway.


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Squinavir should be entered the clinical trials for the treatment of the Covid-19 disease, as it has shown excellent binding affinities to SARS Cov-2 RNA depended polymerase and forms stable complexes with the protein and could possible inhibited its action.
Abstract: Background: Remdesivir, a drug in use for Ebola it is already tested in clinical trials phase III. Objective: To evaluate any other possible related structures with similar properties that could be used in clinical trials for COVID-19. Methods: Molecular docking studies, DFT studies, ADMET studies. Result: Saquinavir is a chemical structure with similar and even a better chemical activity that drugs that entered clinical trials for COVID-19 Conclusion: Saquinavir should be entered the clinical trials for the treatment of the COVID-19 disease, as it has shown excellent binding affinities to SARS Cov-2 RNA depended polymerase and forms stable complexes with the protein and could possible inhibited its action.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Protein structure is constructed using homology modeling, molecular docking of protein with potential drug candidates, interaction analysis and pharmacophore analysis conducted and it is revealed two compounds i.e. Nelfinavir mesylate and strychnobiflavone which have desired characteristics in the future drugs for Visceral leishmaniasis.
Abstract: Hydroperoxide metabolism involving trypanothione, key for the survival of Leishmania, is a validated target for rational drug design. In this study, we aim in silico drug design by targeting tryparedoxin peroxidase (2-Cysperoxiredoxin type) from Leishmania donovani (LdTXNPx) using clioquinol, nelfinavir, and strychnobiflavone as mother compound. Clioquinol, nelfinavir are known for their anti-leishmanial activity and strychnobiflavone showed antileishmanial activity against Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania infantum amastigotes and promastigotes recently Visceral leishmaniasis, the most lethal form of Leishmaniasis, is caused by Leishmania donovani in the Indian subcontinent and East Africa. Current therapeutics for the disease are associated with a risk of high toxicity and development of drug-resistant strains. Thus, the discovery of potential targets, successful inhibitors and improved drug distribution mechanisms for leishmaniasis diagnosis has become a focus On this basis, we constructed protein structure using homology modeling, molecular docking of protein with potential drug candidates, interaction analysis and pharmacophore analysis conducted in this study We have revealed two compounds i.e. Nelfinavir mesylate and strychnobiflavone which have desired characteristics in the future drugs for Visceral leishmaniasis Consistently in the future, we will ratify the efficacy of these compounds, essential animal and clinical trials are needed to be performed. We believe that our present study will help to find efficient and effective therapy for treating Visceral leishmaniasis in humans


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Two new series of bis-pyrazolines endowed with potent antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger are identified and it is suggested that compounds 5a-e might show their anticandidal effects via CYP51 inhibition in regard to their stronger interactions in the active site of CYP 51.
Abstract: Due to the increasing number of cases of invasive fungal infections (IFIs), there is an urgent need to identify potent antifungal agents capable of combating IFIs. Pyrazolines are one such class of therapeutically active agents that could be considered to fulfill this need. In this context, this paper aims to identify two new series of bis-pyrazolines endowed with potent antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. Two new series of bis-pyrazolines (4a-i, 5a-e) were synthesized through an efficient and versatile synthetic procedure. The compounds were screened for their antifungal effects on C. albicans and A. niger using a broth microdilution method. Their cytotoxic effects on NIH/3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblast cells were determined using MTT assay. Molecular docking studies were performed in the active site of lanosterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51) to shed light on their antifungal effects using Schrödinger’s Maestro molecular modeling package. 5,5'-(1,4-Phenylene)bis[1-(2-(5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)thio)acetyl)-3-(2-thienyl)-4,5- dihydro-1H-pyrazole] (4a) and 5,5'-(1,4-phenylene)bis[1-(2-(4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazinylthiocarbamoyl) thio)acetyl)-3-(2-thienyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole] (5a) were found as the most promising antifungal agents in this series. Compounds 4a and 5a showed pronounced antifungal activity against C. albicans (MIC= 0.016 mg/mL) and A. niger (MIC= 0.008 mg/mL). Based on MTT assay, their antifungal effects were selective (IC50 > 0.500 mg/mL for NIH/3T3 cell line). Molecular docking studies suggested that compounds 5a-e might show their anticandidal effects via CYP51 inhibition in regard to their stronger interactions in the active site of CYP51. Compounds 4a and 5a stand out as potential antifungal agents for the management of IFIs caused by C. albicans and A. niger.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Four drugs, Eprosartan, Inarigivir soproxil, Foretinib, and DB01813 that could plausibly target Nsp15 against COVID-19 disease are identified.
Abstract: Background: The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 has caused havoc and panic among individuals, which has further worsened due to the unavailability of a proven drug(s) regime. Objective: The current work involves drug repurposing from the pool of USFDA approved drugs involving in silico virtual screening technique against COVID-19. Materials and Methods: Methodology involves virtual screening of 8548 FDA approved drugs against target protein endoribonuclease NendoU (Nsp15) (PDB ID: 6VWW). Result: Virtual screening-based analysis enabled us to identify four drugs, Eprosartan, Inarigivir soproxil, Foretinib, and DB01813 that could plausibly target Nsp15 against COVID-19 disease. Conclusion: The work offers the scope to corroborate the findings via in vitro and in vivo techniques to identify the potential of selected leads against COVID-19. The outcome may also help in tracing their molecular mechanism(s) in addition to their development at the clinical level in the future.