Green and four-component cyclocondensation synthesis and in silico docking of new polyfunctionalized pyrrole derivatives as the potential anticholinesterase agents

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Hadi Meshkatalsadat ◽  
Ahmad Mahmoudi ◽  
Safa Lotfi ◽  
Behjat Pouramiri ◽  
Alireza Foroumadi
Keyword(s):  
In Silico ◽  
Pyrrole Derivatives ◽  
In Silico Docking ◽  
Anticholinesterase Agents

Synthesis, In vitro and In silico Evaluation of a Series of Pyrazolines as New Anticholinesterase Agents

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 574-584
Author(s):  
Mehlika Dilek Altıntop
Keyword(s):  
Acetic Acid ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Structural Modification ◽  
Inhibitory Effects ◽  
In Silico Docking ◽  
Ache Inhibitors ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Morpholine Derivatives ◽  
Anticholinesterase Agents

Background: Pyrazolines, electron-rich nitrogen carriers, are of great importance due to their potential applications for the treatment of many diseases including inflammation, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative disorders. Objectives: The purpose of this work was to synthesize new pyrazoline derivatives and evaluate their anticholinesterase effects. Methods: 1-Aryl-5-[4-(piperidin-1-yl)phenyl]-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazoles (1-7) were synthesized via the treatment of 1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-[4-(piperidin-1-yl)phenyl]prop-2- en-1-one with arylhydrazine hydrochloride derivatives in acetic acid, whereas 1-aryl-5-[4- (morpholin-4-yl)phenyl]-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazoles (8-14) were obtained by the treatment of 1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-[4-(morpholin-4-yl)phenyl]prop-2-en-1-one with arylhydrazine hydrochloride derivatives in acetic acid. Their inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) were determined using a modification of Ellman’s spectrophotometric method. In silico docking and Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion (ADME) studies were performed using Schrödinger’s Maestro molecular modeling package. Results: In general, piperidine derivatives were found to be more effective than morpholine derivatives on cholinesterases (ChEs). 1-Phenyl-5-[4-(piperidin-1-yl)phenyl]-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)- 4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole (1) and 1-(4-cyanophenyl)-5-[4-(piperidin-1-yl)phenyl]-3-(3,4- dimethoxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole (7) were identified as the most effective AChE inhibitors in this series with 40.92% and 38.98%, respectively. Compounds 1 and 7 were docked into the active site of human AChE (PDB code: 4EY7). Both the compounds were found to be capable of forming π-π stacking interactions with Trp286. Based on in silico ADME studies, these compounds are expected to have reasonable oral bioavailability. Conclusion: In the view of this work, the structural modification of the identified agents is going on for the generation of new anticholinesterase agents with enhanced efficacy.

In Silico Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamic Simulation of Potential Inhibitors of 3C-like Main Proteinase (3CLpro) from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Using Selected African Medicinal Plants

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahar Qazi ◽  
Mustafa Alhaji Isa ◽  
Adam Mustapha ◽  
Khalid Raza ◽  
Ibrahim Alkali Allamin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Docking ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Md Simulation ◽  
Binding Energies ◽  
Anacardium Occidentale ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Ligand Complex ◽  
In Silico Docking ◽  
Main Protease

<p>The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an infectious virus that causes mild to severe life-threatening upper respiratory tract infection. The virus emerged in Wuhan, China in 2019, and later spread across the globe. Its genome has been completely sequenced and based on the genomic information, the virus possessed 3C-Like Main Protease (3CLpro), an essential multifunctional enzyme that plays a vital role in the replication and transcription of the virus by cleaving polyprotein at eleven various sites to produce different non-structural proteins. This makes the protein an important target for drug design and discovery. Herein, we analyzed the interaction between the 3CLpro and potential inhibitory compounds identified from the extracts of <i>Zingiber offinale</i> and <i>Anacardium occidentale</i> using in silico docking and Molecular Dynamics (MD) Simulation. The crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 main protease in complex with 02J (5-Methylisoxazole-3-carboxylic acid) and PEJ (composite ligand) (PDB Code: 6LU7,2.16Å) retrieved from Protein Data Bank (PDB) and subject to structure optimization and energy minimization. A total of twenty-nine compounds were obtained from the extracts of <i>Zingiber offinale </i>and the leaves of <i>Anacardium occidentale. </i>These compounds were screened for physicochemical (Lipinski rule of five, Veber rule, and Egan filter), <i>Pan</i>-Assay Interference Structure (PAINS), and pharmacokinetic properties to determine the Pharmaceutical Active Ingredients (PAIs). Of the 29 compounds, only nineteen (19) possessed drug-likeness properties with efficient oral bioavailability and less toxicity. These compounds subjected to molecular docking analysis to determine their binding energies with the 3CLpro. The result of the analysis indicated that the free binding energies of the compounds ranged between ˗5.08 and -10.24kcal/mol, better than the binding energies of 02j (-4.10kcal/mol) and PJE (-5.07kcal.mol). Six compounds (CID_99615 = -10.24kcal/mol, CID_3981360 = 9.75kcal/mol, CID_9910474 = -9.14kcal/mol, CID_11697907 = -9.10kcal/mol, CID_10503282 = -9.09kcal/mol and CID_620012 = -8.53kcal/mol) with good binding energies further selected and subjected to MD Simulation to determine the stability of the protein-ligand complex. The results of the analysis indicated that all the ligands form stable complexes with the protein, although, CID_9910474 and CID_10503282 had a better stability when compared to other selected phytochemicals (CID_99615, CID_3981360, CID_620012, and CID_11697907). </p>

In Silico Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamic Simulation of Potential Inhibitors of 3C-like Main Proteinase (3CLpro) from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Using Selected African Medicinal Plants

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahar Qazi ◽  
Mustafa Alhaji Isa ◽  
Adam Mustapha ◽  
Khalid Raza ◽  
Ibrahim Alkali Allamin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Docking ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Md Simulation ◽  
Binding Energies ◽  
Anacardium Occidentale ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Ligand Complex ◽  
In Silico Docking ◽  
Main Protease

<p>The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an infectious virus that causes mild to severe life-threatening upper respiratory tract infection. The virus emerged in Wuhan, China in 2019, and later spread across the globe. Its genome has been completely sequenced and based on the genomic information, the virus possessed 3C-Like Main Protease (3CLpro), an essential multifunctional enzyme that plays a vital role in the replication and transcription of the virus by cleaving polyprotein at eleven various sites to produce different non-structural proteins. This makes the protein an important target for drug design and discovery. Herein, we analyzed the interaction between the 3CLpro and potential inhibitory compounds identified from the extracts of <i>Zingiber offinale</i> and <i>Anacardium occidentale</i> using in silico docking and Molecular Dynamics (MD) Simulation. The crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 main protease in complex with 02J (5-Methylisoxazole-3-carboxylic acid) and PEJ (composite ligand) (PDB Code: 6LU7,2.16Å) retrieved from Protein Data Bank (PDB) and subject to structure optimization and energy minimization. A total of twenty-nine compounds were obtained from the extracts of <i>Zingiber offinale </i>and the leaves of <i>Anacardium occidentale. </i>These compounds were screened for physicochemical (Lipinski rule of five, Veber rule, and Egan filter), <i>Pan</i>-Assay Interference Structure (PAINS), and pharmacokinetic properties to determine the Pharmaceutical Active Ingredients (PAIs). Of the 29 compounds, only nineteen (19) possessed drug-likeness properties with efficient oral bioavailability and less toxicity. These compounds subjected to molecular docking analysis to determine their binding energies with the 3CLpro. The result of the analysis indicated that the free binding energies of the compounds ranged between ˗5.08 and -10.24kcal/mol, better than the binding energies of 02j (-4.10kcal/mol) and PJE (-5.07kcal.mol). Six compounds (CID_99615 = -10.24kcal/mol, CID_3981360 = 9.75kcal/mol, CID_9910474 = -9.14kcal/mol, CID_11697907 = -9.10kcal/mol, CID_10503282 = -9.09kcal/mol and CID_620012 = -8.53kcal/mol) with good binding energies further selected and subjected to MD Simulation to determine the stability of the protein-ligand complex. The results of the analysis indicated that all the ligands form stable complexes with the protein, although, CID_9910474 and CID_10503282 had a better stability when compared to other selected phytochemicals (CID_99615, CID_3981360, CID_620012, and CID_11697907). </p>

The Antiviral and Antimalarial Drug Repurposing in Quest of Chemotherapeutics to Combat COVID-19 Utilizing Structure-Based Molecular Docking

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sisir Nandi ◽  
Mohit Kumar ◽  
Mridula Saxena ◽  
Anil Kumar Saxena
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Docking ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Drug Repurposing ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
The Novel ◽  
In Silico Docking ◽  
Biochemical Mechanisms ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
In Silico Molecular Docking

Background: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by a new strain (SARS-CoV-2) erupted in 2019. Nowadays, it is a great threat that claims uncountable lives worldwide. There is no specific chemotherapeutics developed yet to combat COVID-19. Therefore, scientists have been devoted in the quest of the medicine that can cure COVID- 19. Objective: Existing antivirals such as ASC09/ritonavir, lopinavir/ritonavir with or without umifenovir in combination with antimalarial chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine have been repurposed to fight the current coronavirus epidemic. But exact biochemical mechanisms of these drugs towards COVID-19 have not been discovered to date. Method: In-silico molecular docking can predict the mode of binding to sort out the existing chemotherapeutics having a potential affinity towards inhibition of the COVID-19 target. An attempt has been made in the present work to carry out docking analyses of 34 drugs including antivirals and antimalarials to explain explicitly the mode of interactions of these ligands towards the COVID-19protease target. Results: 13 compounds having good binding affinity have been predicted towards protease binding inhibition of COVID-19. Conclusion: Our in silico docking results have been confirmed by current reports from clinical settings through the citation of suitable experimental in vitro data available in the published literature.

Computational and In-Vitro Validation of Natural Molecules as Potential Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors and Neuroprotective Agents

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashwani Kumar ◽  
Vineet Mehta ◽  
Utkarsh Raj ◽  
Pritish Kumar Varadwaj ◽  
Malairaman Udayabanu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
In Silico ◽  
Hippocampal Neurons ◽  
Symptomatic Relief ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Disease Modifying Drugs ◽  
In Silico Docking ◽  
Ache Inhibitors ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Disease Modifying

Background: Cholinesterase inhibitors are the first line of therapy for the management of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), however, it is now established that they provide only temporary and symptomatic relief, besides, having several inherited side-effects. Therefore, an alternative drug discovery method is used to identify new and safer ‘disease-modifying drugs’. Methods: Herein, we screened 646 small molecules of natural origin having reported pharmacological and functional values through in-silico docking studies to predict safer neuromodulatory molecules with potential to modulate acetylcholine metabolism. Further, the potential of the predicted molecules to inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and their ability to protect neurons from degeneration was determined through in-vitro assays. Results: Based on in-silico AChE interaction studies, we predicted quercetin, caffeine, ascorbic acid and gallic acid to be potential AChE inhibitors. We confirmed the AChE inhibitory potential of these molecules through in-vitro AChE inhibition assay and compared results with donepezil and begacestat. Herbal molecules significantly inhibited enzyme activity and inhibition for quercetin and caffeine did not show any significant difference from donepezil. Further, the tested molecules did not show any neurotoxicity against primary (E18) hippocampal neurons. We observed that quercetin and caffeine significantly improved neuronal survival and efficiently protected hippocampal neurons from HgCl2 induced neurodegeneration, which other molecules, including donepezil and begacestat, failed to do. Conclusion: Quercetin and caffeine have the potential as “disease-modifying drugs” and may find application in the management of neurological disorders such as AD.

α-Glucosidase Inhibition, Antioxidant and Docking Studies of Hydroxycoumarins and their Mono and Bis O-alkylated/acetylated Analogs

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parvesh Singh ◽  
Nomandla Ngcoya ◽  
Ramgopal Mopuri ◽  
Nagaraju Kerru ◽  
Neha Manhas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
In Silico ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Radical Scavenging Activity ◽  
Radical Scavenging ◽  
Catalytic Site ◽  
Docking Simulations ◽  
In Silico Docking ◽  
Anti Oxidant

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a complex metabolic disease illustrated by abnormally high levels of plasma glucose or hyperglycaemia. Accordingly, several α-glucosidase inhibitors have been developed for the treatment of diabetes and other degenerative disorders. While, a coumarin ring has the privilege to represent numerous natural and synthetic compounds with a wide spectrum of biological activities e.g. anti-cancer, anti-HIV, anti-viral, anti-malarial, anti-microbial, anti-convulsant, anti-hypertensive properties. Besides this, coumarins have also shown potential to inhibit α-glucosidase leading to a generation of new promising antidiabetic agents. However, the testing of O-substituted coumarins for α-glucosidase inhibition has evaded the attention of medicinal chemists. Methods: For O-alkylation/acetylation reactions, the hydroxyl coumarins (A-B) initially activated by K2CO3 in dry DMF were reacted with variedly substituted haloalkanes at room temperature under nitrogen. The synthesized compounds were tested for their α-glucosidase (from Saccharomyces cerevisiae) inhibitory activity and anti-oxidant activity using DPPH radical scavenging activity. In silico docking simulations were conducted using CDocker module in DS (Accelrys) to explore the binding modes of the representative compounds in the catalytic site of α-glucosidase. Results: All the coumarin analogues (A1, B1, A2-A10, B2-B8) including their precursors (A-B) were evaluated for their in vitro α-glucosidase inhibition using acarbose as a standard inhibitor. All the mono O-alkylated coumarins (except A1) showed significant (p <0.05) α-glucosidase inhibition relative to the hydroxyl coumarin (A) with IC50 values ranging between 11.084±0.117 to 145.24± 29.22 µg/mL. Compound 7-(benzyloxy)-4, 5-dimethyl-2H-chromen-2-one (A9) bearing a benzyl group (Ph-CH2-) at position 7 showed a remarkable (p <0.05) increase in the activity (IC50 = 11.084±0.117 µg/mL), almost four-fold more than acarbose (IC50 = 40.578±5.999 µg/mL). The introduction of –NO2 group dramatically improved the anti-oxidant activity of coumarin, while the O-alkylation/acetylation decreased the activity. Conclusion: The present study describes the synthesis of functionalized coumarins and their evaluation for α-glucosidase inhibition and antioxidant activity under in vitro conditions. Based on IC50 data, the mono O-alkylated coumarins were observed to be stronger inhibitors of α-glucosidase with respect to their bis O-alkylated analogues. Coumarin (A9) bearing O-benzyloxy group displayed the strongest α-glucosidase inhibition, even higher than the standard inhibitor acarbose. The coumarin (A10) bearing –NO2 group showed the highest anti-oxidant activity amongst the synthesized compounds, almost comparable to the ascorbic acid. Finally, in silico docking simulations revealed the role of hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic forces in locking the compounds in catalytic site of α-glucosidase.

Design, Synthesis, In vitro and In silico Evaluation of New Hydrazonebased Antitumor Agents as Potent Akt Inhibitors

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. 1380-1392
Author(s):  
Emine Merve Güngör ◽  
Mehlika Dilek Altıntop ◽  
Belgin Sever ◽  
Gülşen Akalın Çiftçi
Keyword(s):  
Cell Line ◽  
Anticancer Agents ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Antitumor Agents ◽  
Colorimetric Assay ◽  
Fibroblast Cell ◽  
Lipinski’S Rule ◽  
In Silico Docking ◽  
Embryonic Fibroblast

Background: Akt is overexpressed or activated in a variety of human cancers, including gliomas, lung, breast, ovarian, gastric and pancreatic carcinomas. Akt inhibition leads to the induction of apoptosis and inhibition of tumor growth and therefore extensive efforts have been devoted to the discovery of potent antitumor drugs targeting Akt. Objectives: The objective of this work was to identify potent anticancer agents targeting Akt. Methods: New hydrazone derivatives were synthesized and investigated for their cytotoxic effects on 5RP7 H-ras oncogene transformed rat embryonic fibroblast and L929 mouse embryonic fibroblast cell lines. Besides, the apoptotic effects of the most active compounds on 5RP7 cell line were evaluated using flow cytometry. Their Akt inhibitory effects were also investigated using a colorimetric assay. In silico docking and Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion (ADME) studies were also performed using Schrödinger’s Maestro molecular modeling package. Results and Discussion: Compounds 3a, 3d, 3g and 3j were found to be effective on 5RP7 cells (with IC50 values of <0.97, <0.97, 1.13±0.06 and <0.97 μg/mL, respectively) when compared with cisplatin (IC50= 1.87±0.15 μg/mL). It was determined that these four compounds significantly induced apoptosis in 5RP7 cell line. Among them, N'-benzylidene-2-[(4-(4-methoxyphenyl)pyrimidin- 2-yl)thio]acetohydrazide (3g) significantly inhibited Akt (IC50= 0.5±0.08 μg/mL) when compared with GSK690693 (IC50= 0.6±0.05 μg/mL). Docking studies suggested that compound 3g showed good affinity to the active site of Akt (PDB code: 2JDO). According to in silico ADME studies, the compound also complies with Lipinski's rule of five and Jorgensen's rule of three. Conclusion: Compound 3g stands out as a potential orally bioavailable cytotoxic agent and apoptosis inducer targeting Akt.

Novel Spiro/non-Spiro Pyranopyrazoles: Eco-Friendly Synthesis, In-vitro Anticancer Activity, DNA Binding, and In-silico Docking Studies

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paritosh Shukla ◽  
Ashok Sharma ◽  
Leena Fageria ◽  
Rajdeep Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Anticancer Activity ◽  
Anticancer Agents ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Docking Studies ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Microwave Assisted Synthesis ◽  
Binding Affinities ◽  
In Silico Docking

Background: Cancer being a deadly disease, many reports of new chemical entities are available. Pyranopyrazole (PPZ) compounds have also been disclosed as bioactive molecules but mainly as antimicrobial agents. Based on one previous report and our interest in anticancer drug design, we decided to explore PPZs as anticancer agents. To the best of our knowledge, we found that a comprehensive study, involving synthesis, in-vitro biological activity determination, exploration of the mechanism of inhibition and finally in-silico docking studies, was missing in earlier reports. This is what the present study intends to accomplish. Methods: Ten spiro and eleven non-spiro PPZ molecules were synthesized by environment-friendly multicomponent reaction (MCR) strategy. After subjecting each of the newly synthesized molecules to Hep3b hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines assay, we selectively measured the Optical Density (OD) of the most active ones. Then, the compound exhibiting the best activity was docked against human CHK- 1 protein to get an insight into the binding affinities and a quick structure activity relationship (SAR) of the PPZs. Results: The two series of spiro and non-spiro PPZs were easily synthesized in high yields using microwave assisted synthesis and other methods. Among the synthesized compounds, most compounds showed moderate to good anticancer activity against the MTT assay. After performing the absorbance studies we found that the non-spiro molecules showed better apoptosis results and appeared to bind to DNA causing disruption in their structures. Finally, the docking results of compound 5h (having N,Ndimethylamino substituted moiety) clearly showed good binding affinities as predicted by our experimental findings. Conclusion: The paper describes a comprehensive synthesis, in-vitro and docking studies done on new PPZs. The newly synthesized series of spiro and non-spiro PPZs were found to possess antineoplasmic activity as evinced by the studies on hep3b cells. Also, the UV visible absorbance study gave clues to the possible binding of these molecules to the DNA. Docking studies corroborated well with the experimental results. Thus, these new molecules appear to be potential anticancer agents, but further studies are required to substantiate and elaborate on these findings.

Hetero-Tricyclic Lead Scaffold as Novel PDE5A Inhibitor for Antihypertensive Activity: In Silico Docking Studies

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 318-333
Author(s):  
Dipak P. Mali ◽  
Neela M. Bhatia
Keyword(s):  
In Silico ◽  
Docking Study ◽  
Docking Studies ◽  
Antihypertensive Activity ◽  
In Silico Docking ◽  
Π Stacking ◽  
Π Stacking Interaction ◽  
Nitrogen Heteroatom ◽  
Inhibitory Potential ◽  
Vlife Mds

Objective:To screen the phytochemicals for phosphodiesterase 5A (PDE5A) inhibitory potential and identify lead scaffolds of antihypertensive phytochemicals using in silico docking studies.Methods:In this perspective, reported 269 antihypertensive phytochemicals were selected. Sildenafil, a PDE5A inhibitor was used as the standard. In silico docking study was carried out to screen and identify the inhibiting potential of the selected phytochemicals against PDE5A enzyme using vLife MDS 4.4 software.Results:Based on docking score, π-stacking, H-bond and ionic interactions, 237 out of 269 molecules were selected which have shown one or more interactions. Protein residue Gln817A was involved in H-boding whereas Val782A, Phe820A and Leu804A were involved in π-stacking interaction with ligand. The selected 237 phytochemicals were structurally diverse, therefore 82 out of 237 molecules with one or more tricycles were filtered out for further analysis. Amongst tricyclic molecules, 14 molecules containing nitrogen heteroatom were selected for lead scaffold identification which finally resulted in three different basic chemical backbones like pyridoindole, tetrahydro-pyridonaphthyridine and dihydro-pyridoquinazoline as lead scaffolds.Conclusion:In silico docking studies revealed that nitrogen-containing tetrahydro-pyridonaphthyridine and dihydro-pyridoquinazoline tricyclic lead scaffolds have emerged as novel PDE5A inhibitors for antihypertensive activity. The identified lead scaffolds may provide antihypertensive lead molecules after its optimization.

Reverse Screening Bioinformatics Approach to Identify Potential Anti Breast Cancer Targets Using Thymoquinone from Neutraceuticals Black Cumin Oil

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 599-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumathi Sundaravadivelu ◽  
Sonia K. Raj ◽  
Banupriya S. Kumar ◽  
Poornima Arumugamand ◽  
Padma P. Ragunathan
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Gene Expression ◽  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Normal Cells ◽  
Black Cumin ◽  
In Silico Docking ◽  
Wide Range

Background: Functional foods, neutraceuticals and natural antioxidants have established their potential roles in the protection of human health and diseases. Thymoquinone (TQ), the main bioactive component of Nigella sativa seeds (black cumin seeds), a plant derived neutraceutical was used by ancient Egyptians because of their ability to cure a variety of health conditions and used as a dietary food supplement. Owing to its multi targeting nature, TQ interferes with a wide range of tumorigenic processes and counteracts carcinogenesis, malignant growth, invasion, migration, and angiogenesis. Additionally, TQ can specifically sensitize tumor cells towards conventional cancer treatments (e.g., radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy) and simultaneously minimize therapy-associated toxic effects in normal cells besides being cost effective and safe. TQ was found to play a protective role when given along with chemotherapeutic agents to normal cells. Methods: In the present study, reverse in silico docking approach was used to search for potential molecular targets for cancer therapy. Various metastatic and apoptotic targets were docked with the target ligand. TQ was also tested for its anticancer activities for its ability to cause cell death, arrest cell cycle and ability to inhibit PARP gene expression. Results: In silico docking studies showed that TQ effectively docked metastatic targets MMPs and other apoptotic and cell proliferation targets EGFR. They were able to bring about cell death mediated by apoptosis, cell cycle arrest in the late apoptotic stage and induce DNA damage too. TQ effectively down regulated PARP gene expression which can lead to enhanced cancer cell death. Conclusion: Thymoquinone a neutraceutical can be employed as a new therapeutic agent to target triple negative breast cancer which is otherwise difficult to treat as there are no receptors on them. Can be employed along with standard chemotherapeutic drugs to treat breast cancer as a combinatorial therapy.

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