Comprehensive Assessment of Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Cytotoxic Activities of Schiff Bases Synthesized from Phenyl Glyoxal: Insights from Molecular Docking and ADMET Analysis

Abstract

In this study, novel Schiff base, PTIEO and PABHP were synthesized using Phenyl Glyoxal as a major constituent and their structures were elucidated through modern spectroscopic techniques. Antioxidant assays were performed using DPPH and ABTS assays. Further, PTIEO and PABHP were subjected to in vitro biological evaluations against ESKAP pathogens. This investigation revealed significant antibacterial activity of both compounds, with MIC below 64 μg mL−1 against Staphylococcus aureus and 64 μg mL−1 against Acinetobacter baummanii. In molecular docking studies, PTIEO shows enhanced binding energy with Acinetobacter baumannii bacterial protein Diaminopimelate epimerase at −7.45 Kcal mol−1, while PABHP exhibited −8.32 Kcal mol−1 binding energy with NADH‐dependent enoyl‐ACP reductase. Additionally, PTIEO and PABHP demonstrated good binding energy with Sortase‐A of Staphylococcus aureus at −7.59 Kcal mol−1 and −8.75 Kcal mol−1, respectively. Moreover, antifungal capabilities of these compounds were evaluated against pathogenic fungi Candida Albicans, Candida Parapsilosis, and Candida tropicalis, highlighting their broad‐spectrum antimicrobial properties. Moreover, PABHP displayed cytotoxicity with an IC50 value of 23.50 μg mL−1, suggesting its safer administration. ADMET calculations were also performed to demonstrate their effectiveness. Overall, these experiments attribute to the significant therapeutic behavior of Schiff bases as comprehensive biomedical agents.