Malaria, caused by Plasmodium protozoa with Plasmodium
falciparum as the most virulent species, continues
to pose significant health challenges. Despite the availability of
effective antimalarial drugs, the emergence of resistance has heightened
the urgency for developing novel therapeutic compounds. In this study,
we investigated the enoyl-ACP reductase enzyme of P.
falciparum (PfENR) as a promising target for antimalarial
drug discovery. Through a comprehensive analysis, we conducted a comparative
evaluation of two lead compounds, LD1 (CID: 44405336, lead compounds
1) and LD2 (CID: 72703246, lead compounds 2), obtained from the PubChem/NCBI
ligand database, to serve as reference molecules in the identification
of potential derivatives using virtual screening assays. Among the
newly identified candidates, Ligand 1 (LG1) and Ligand 2 (LG2) exhibited
intriguing characteristics and underwent further investigation through
docking and molecular dynamics simulations. Ligand 1 (LG1) demonstrated
interactions similar to LD1, including hydrogen bonding with Asp218,
while Ligand 2 (LG2) displayed superior binding energy comparable
to LD1 and LD2, despite lacking hydrogen bonding interactions observed
in the control compounds triclosan and its derivative 7-(4-chloro-2-hydroxyphenoxy)-4-methyl-2H-chromen-2-one
(CHJ). Following computational validation using the MM/GBSA method
to estimate binding free energy, commercially acquired LG1 and LG2
ligands were subjected to in vitro testing. Inhibition assays were
performed to evaluate their potential as PfENR inhibitors alongside
triclosan as a control compound. LG1 exhibited no inhibitory effects,
while LG2 demonstrated inhibitory effects like triclosan. In conclusion,
this study contributes valuable insights into developing novel antimalarial
drugs by identifying LG2 as a potential ligand and employing a comprehensive
approach integrating computational and experimental methodologies.