In Silico Studies of Four Compounds of Cecropia obtusifolia against Malaria Parasite

Abstract

Malaria is a disease that affects many people in the world. In Mexico, malaria remains an active disease in certain regions, particularly in the states of Chiapas and Chihuahua. While antimalarial effects have been attributed to some species of Cecropia in various countries, no such studies have been conducted in Mexico. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the in silico antimalarial activity of some active compounds identified according to the literature in the species of Cecropia obtusifolia, belonging to the Cecropiaceae family, such as ursolic acid, α-amyrin, chrysin, and isoorientin. These compounds were evaluated with specific molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) studies using three different malarial targets with the PDB codes 1CET, 2BL9, and 4ZL4 as well as the prediction of their pharmacokinetic (Pk) properties. Docking analysis revealed the following best binding energies (kcal/mol): isoorientin–1CET (−9.1), isoorientin–2BL9 (−8.8), and chrysin–4ZL4 (−9.6). MD simulation validated the stability of the complexes. Pharmacokinetics analysis suggested that the compounds would generally perform well if administered. Therefore, these results suggest that these compounds may be used as potential drugs for the treatment of malaria.