Computer aided toxicity and pharmacokinetic prediction studies attracted the attention of pharmaceutical industries as an alternative means to predict potential drug candidates. In the present study, in-silico pharmacokinetic properties (ADME), drug-likeness, toxicity profiles of sixteen antidiabetic flavonoids that have ideal bidentate chelating sites for metal ion coordination were examined using SwissADME, Pro Tox II, vNN and ADMETlab web tools. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were also employed to calculate quantum chemical descriptors of the compounds. Molecular docking studies against human alpha amylase were also conducted. The results were compared with the control drugs, metformin and acarbose. The drug-likeness prediction results showed that all flavonoids, except myricetin, were found to obey Lipinski’s rule of five for their drug like molecular nature. Pharmacokinetically, chrysin, wogonin, genistein, baicalein, and apigenin showed best absorption profile with human intestinal absorption (HIA) value of ≥ 30%, compared to the other flavonoids. Baicalein, butein, ellagic acid, eriodyctiol, Fisetin and quercetin were predicted to show carcinogenicity. The flavonoid derivatives considered in this study are predicted to be suitable molecules for CYP3A probes, except eriodyctiol which interacts with P-glycoprotein (p-gp). The toxicological endpoints prediction analysis showed that the median lethal dose (LD50) values range from 159–3919 mg/Kg, of which baicalein and quercetin are found to be mutagenic whereas butein is found to be the only immunotoxin. Molecular docking studies showed that the significant interaction (-7.5 to -8.3 kcal/mol) of the studied molecules in the binding pocket of the α-amylase protein relative to the control metformin with the crucial amino acids Asp 197, Glu 233, Asp 197, Glu 233, Trp 59, Tyr 62, His 101, Leu 162, Arg 195, His 299 and Leu 165. Chrysin was predicted to be a ligand with high absorption and lipophilicity with 84.6% absorption compared to metformin (78.3%). Moreover, quantum chemical, ADMET, drug-likeness and molecular docking profiles predicted that chrysin is a good bidentate ligand.

The dichloromethane/methanol (1:1) extracts of the roots of Pentas longiflora and Pentas lanceolata showed low micromolar (IC(50) = 0.9-3 µg/mL) IN VITRO antiplasmodial activity against chloroquine-resistant (W2) and chloroquine-sensitive (D6) strains of PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM. Chromatographic separation of the extract of PENTAS LONGIFLORA led to the isolation of the pyranonaphthoquinones pentalongin (1) and psychorubrin (2) with IC(50) values below 1 µg/mL and the naphthalene derivative mollugin (3), which showed marginal activity. Similar treatment of Pentas lanceolata led to the isolation of eight anthraquinones ( 4-11, IC(50) = 5-31 µg/mL) of which one is new (5,6-dihydroxydamnacanthol, 11), while three--nordamnacanthal (7), lucidin-ω-methyl ether (9), and damnacanthol (10)--are reported here for the first time from the genus Pentas. The compounds were identified by NMR and mass spectroscopic techniques.

Background Thiazole-based Schiff base compounds display significant pharmacological potential with an ability to modulate the activity of many enzymes involved in metabolism. They also demonstrated to have antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiproliferative activities. In this work, conventional and green approaches using ZnO nanoparticles as catalyst were used to synthesize thiazole-based Schiff base compounds. Results Among the synthesized compounds, 11 showed good activities towards Gram-negative E. coli (14.40 ± 0.04), and Gram-positive S. aureus (15.00 ± 0.01 mm), respectively, at 200 μg/mL compared to amoxicillin (18.00 ± 0.01 mm and 17.00 ± 0.04). Compounds 7 and 9 displayed better DPPH radical scavenging potency with IC50 values of 3.6 and 3.65 μg/mL, respectively, compared to ascorbic acid (3.91 μg/mL). The binding affinity of the synthesized compounds against DNA gyrase B is within − 7.5 to − 6.0 kcal/mol, compared to amoxicillin (− 6.1 kcal/mol). The highest binding affinity was achieved for compounds 9 and 11 (− 6.9, and − 7.5 kcal/mol, respectively). Compounds 7 and 9 displayed the binding affinity values of − 5.3 to − 5.2 kcal/mol, respectively, against human peroxiredoxin 5. These values are higher than that of ascorbic acid (− 4.9 kcal/mol), in good agreement with the experimental findings. In silico cytotoxicity predictions showed that the synthesized compounds Lethal Dose (LD50) value are class three (50 ≤ LD50 ≤ 300), indicating that the compounds could be categorized under toxic class. Density functional theory calculations showed that the synthesized compounds have small band gap energies ranging from 1.795 to 2.242 eV, demonstrating that the compounds have good reactivities. Conclusions The synthesized compounds showed moderate to high antibacterial and antioxidant activities. The in vitro antibacterial activity and molecular docking analysis showed that compound 11 is a promising antibacterial therapeutics agent against E. coli, whereas compounds 7 and 9 were found to be promising antioxidant agents. Moreover, the green synthesis approach using ZnO nanoparticles as catalyst was found to be a very efficient method to synthesize biologically active compounds compared to the conventional method.

Four new naphthohydroquinones, named busseihydroquinones A−D (1−4), along with a known homoprenylated dihydronaphthoquinone (5), were isolated from the CH 2 Cl 2 /MeOH (1:1) extract of the roots of Pentas bussei. Although the genus Pentas is frequently used by traditional healers for the treatment of malaria, only marginal activities against the chloroquine-sensitive (D6) and the chloroquineresistant (W2) strains of Plasmodium falciparum were observed for the crude root extract and the isolated constituents of this plant.

Introduction In modern drug design, in silico methods are largely used to understand drug-receptor interactions and quantum chemical properties. In the present study, a computational de novo design approach was used to confirm mode of binding for antibacterial activity, elucidating quantum chemical properties and ADMET-drug-likeness of carbazole alkaloid ( 1 ) and three coumarins ( 2 – 4 ) isolated from roots of Clausena anisata . Methods Docking studies were performed with DNA-Gyrase (6F86) and LasR binding domain (2UV0) employing a flexible ligand docking approach using AutoDock Vina. SwissADME prediction and toxicological predictions were performed by ADMET. The optimized structures and molecular electrostatic potential surface of the isolated compounds were predicted by DFT analysis using B3LYP/6-31G basis levels. Results and Discussion The docking results revealed that compound 3 showed better docking scores against both DNA gyrase B and LasR binding domain compared with ciprofloxacin with potential as an inhibitor of bacterial DNA gyrase and quorum sensing LasR binding domain. The SwissADME prediction results showed that all the isolated compounds ( 1–4 ) satisfy Lipinski’s rule of five with zero violations. Toxicological prediction results suggested that all compounds and ciprofloxacin are non-hepatotoxic, non-carcinogenic, non-irritant, immunogenic, and non-cytotoxic. The DFT analysis results revealed that compound 3 has large electronegativity (χeV), global softness (σ eV −1 ), global electrophilicity (ωeV), and mutagenicity value closer to ciprofloxacin (with LD 50 value of 480 mg/kg) suggesting better bioactivity and chemical reactivity with considerable intra-molecular charge transfer between electron-donor to electron-acceptor groups. Conclusion Overall, compound 3 may serve as a lead molecule that could be developed into a potent E. coli DNA gyrase B inhibitor and efficient inhibitor for quorum sensing auto-inducer LasR binding domain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa .

Clausena anisata is one of the medicinal plants used traditionally for treatment of parasitic infections, irritation (boils, ringworm, and eczema), flatworm infestations, influenza, abdominal cramps, and constipation. Phytochemical screening test of dichloromethane/methanol (1 : 1) roots extract revealed the presence of flavonoids, phytosterols, coumarins, phenols, alkaloids, tannins, terpenoids, and free reducing sugars and the absence of saponins. Silica gel column chromatographic separation of the dichloromethane/methanol (1 : 1) extract afforded a carbazole alkaloid derivative of heptazoline (1) and three coumarins (2–4), including the known coumarins imperatorin (3) and chalepin (4). Structures of the compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic techniques (IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and DEPT-135). Antibacterial activity of the crude extracts and isolated compounds was screened using agar diffusion method against strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus substilis. The results of antibacterial test revealed derivative of heptaphylline (1) and imperatorin (3) exhibited comparable antibacterial activity against S. aureus and B. substilis (14 and 13 mm zone of inhibition, respectively) to that of ciprofloxacin (15 mm zone of inhibition) at a concentration of 20 µg/mL. Chalepin (4) revealed more antibacterial activity against B. substilis (16 mm zone of inhibition) compared to ciprofloxacin (15 mm).

Pentas micrantha is used in the East African indigenous medicine to treat malaria. In the first investigation of this plant, the crude methanol root extract showed moderate antiplasmodial activity against the W2- (3.37 μg/mL) and D6-strains (4.00 μg/mL) of Plasmodium falciparum and low cytotoxicity (>450 μg/mL, MCF-7 cell line). Chromatographic separation of the extract yielded nine anthraquinones, of which 5,6-dihydroxylucidin-11-O-methyl ether is new. Isolation of a munjistin derivative from the genus Pentas is reported here for the first time. The isolated constituents were identified by NMR and mass spectrometric techniques and showed low antiplasmodial activities.

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