This investigation employs Molecular Electron Density Theory (MEDT) to elucidate the stereoselective (4+2) cycloaddition between 1-(furan-2-yl)propan-1-one and 1-R-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione, combining mechanistic and pharmacological analyses. DFT calculations at the M06/6-311++G(d,p) level identified six distinct reaction pathways, revealing the exo cycloadduct as the thermodynamically favored product, consistent with experimental observations. Transition state analysis through NCI revealed stabilizing CH-π and van der Waals interactions governing the exo preference. Beyond mechanistic insights, the derived norcantharimide analogues exhibit promising anticancer potential, with strong binding affinities against hematological malignancy targets. SwissADME profiling confirmed optimal drug-likeness (QED > 0.6, TPSA < 100 Ų) and low hepatotoxicity risk. Notably, molecular dynamics simulations established exceptional stability for lead compound P2d (RMSD 75%) to key catalytic residues. These integrated computational results position these derivatives as viable candidates for blood cancer therapeutics, merging rigorous mechanistic understanding with preclinical potential assessment.

The method for the synthesis of ethyl 4-[3-(ethoxycarbonyl)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl]-2-oxo/thioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylates was developed, and the bioactivity of the obtained compounds against infectious agents was predicted. Docking studies of the synthesised compounds were performed on pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1) of Leishmania, dihydrofolate reductase–thymidylate synthase of Trypanosoma cruzi, and human dihydrofolate reductase. The results demonstrated that the investigated compounds exhibit high affinity for these enzymes. Moderate selectivity relative to human DHFR was also observed. In addition, the predicted drug-likeness, ADME-Tox parameters, and toxicity profiles suggest the potential of the synthesised compounds for further pharmacological development.

Benzimidazole continues to be an intriguing scaffold in recent drug discovery, owing to its broad spectrum of pharmacological effects. In recent years, a variety of its derivatives, which included chalcone imines, hydrazones, and thiosemicarbazones, were actively investigated for their antitumor potential. In the search for new agents capable of treating kidney cancer, an analysis of a small series of 2-substituted benzimidazoles (45) using 3D-QSAR modelling was performed to determine the antiproliferative activities against cancer cell lines A-498. The biological activity was sufficient to establish a meaningful structure–activity relationship, providing a foundation for the design of more potent compounds. The activity-favouring and activity-disfavoring structural regions were clearly revealed using contour maps generated by the models. The CoMSIA/SHD model was one of the best developed, and its high statistical robustness (q2 = 0.751) and predictive power (R2 pred = 0.924) indicated its reliability. We designed five new derivatives of benzimidazole based on the QSAR results, which demonstrated potent inhibitory potential. Molecular docking studies were performed in order to investigate in detail their interaction modes with the aromatic receptor, and stable binding conformations at the active site have been found. The in silico pharmacokinetic studies suggested that these compounds have a favourable ADMET and bioavailability profile, reinforcing their suitability for in vitro testing. Two leads, L15 and L22, with better PKs properties and high-predicted activities, were subjected to a 100-ns MD simulation in complex with the aromatase target to investigate their stability. We also conducted a retrosynthetic analysis for L15 and L22, suggesting potential synthetic routes for experimental validation. Overall, these findings suggest that benzimidazole analogues could be promising candidates for treating RCC and possibly for blocking aromatase.

A new series of structurally diverse indole–1,2,4-triazole derivatives was designed and synthesized through a thiolated triazole intermediate derived from indole-3-propionic acid. The final compounds, including S-acetamide, bis-indolyl, triazolothiadiazole, and triazolothiadiazine analogues (3–8), were confirmed by NMR, IR, MS, and elemental analysis. Their cytotoxicity was tested against breast (MCF-7), colon (HCT-116), and liver (HepG2) cancer cell lines, alongside normal BJ-1 fibroblasts, using the LDH assay. Several compounds, especially 3, 6b, 7a, 7c, and 8a,b showed potent and selective antiproliferative effects on MCF-7 and HCT-116 cells with IC50 values between 2.3 and 3.0 μM, outperforming doxorubicin nearly twofold under the same conditions. Mechanistic studies revealed a significant decrease in phosphorylated ERK (pERK) protein levels in MCF-7 cells, with compound 3b showing the strongest inhibition (3.499 ± 0.21 pg/mL), consistent with its IC50 (2.3 μg/mL). Molecular docking supported the strong binding affinity of 3b within the ERK active site (−9.0 kcal/mol), involving hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. In silico ADMET predictions confirmed favorable drug-likeness, oral bioavailability, and pharmacokinetic safety for this compound. Overall, compound 3b emerges as a promising lead for ERK-targeted anticancer drug development, supported by combined synthetic, biological, and computational evidence.

This study examines the reactivity of an intramolecular cyclization process involving benzastatin, a molecule derived from Streptomyces nitrosporeus, using density functional theory (DFT) with the B3LYP functional and the 6-311G(d,p) basis set. Parr indices, calculated by natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, provide insight into the reactivity and chemical behavior of the system. In addition, the electron localization function (ELF) is used to analyze bond formation during the process. A molecular docking study highlights the pharmacological potential of benzastatin-derived alkaloids against Plasmodium falciparum, the malaria parasite, by targeting the key enzymes falcipain-2 and falcipain-3. The study elucidates the key interactions and binding affinities between the reaction products involved and these enzymes, supported by molecular dynamics simulations to study the stability of the ligand-protein complex over 50 ns. ADMET predictions suggest favorable pharmacokinetic profiles and low toxicity for the compounds, underlining their potential as antimalarial drug candidates.

A series of new benzimidazole phosphonate derivatives was obtained via nucleophilic addition of triethyl phosphite to the imine of the imidazole subgroup under solvent-free conditions. Structures of the formed products were confirmed using spectroscopic data (ATR-FTIR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, and MS). The antimicrobial profiles of the synthesized compounds were examined, and promising activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans were revealed, showing significant inhibition zone diameters ranging from 13 to 17 mm. Alongside these experimental findings, in silico investigations were conducted using ADMET characteristics, which showed a positive pharmacokinetic profile and provided valuable information on potential interactions with target molecules. Besides, docking studies against tested microorganisms revealed further insights on the compounds’ binding interactions with the active sites. Finally, DFT analysis was performed to shed light on the synthesis of novel molecules.

Methyl α-D-mannopyranoside (MAM) is a naturally occurring carbohydrate derivative that has gained attention in drug discovery due to its potential therapeutic applications, particularly as an antifungal agent. In this study, we employed a computational approach to investigate the interactions between MAM and two Candida albicans antifungal proteins, 1IYL and 1AI9, through molecular docking simulations. Furthermore, we performed a PASS (Prediction of Activity Spectra for Substances) analysis to predict MAM potential biological activities, explored the pharmacokinetic properties and ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) profiles, and optimized the MAM using the density functional theory (DFT) method. The molecular docking results revealed favorable binding interactions between MAM and the active sites of the 1IYL and 1AI9 proteins, suggesting potential antifungal activity. Additionally, the ADMET profiles indicated low toxicity and suitable drug-like properties, such as moderate metabolic stability and minimal risk of adverse effects. Furthermore, DFT optimization was performed to investigate the molecular geometry and electronic properties of MAM. The optimization results provided valuable information on the stability and reactivity of MAM, enabling a better understanding of its chemical behavior and potential modifications for enhanced activity. Finally, PASS prediction was employed to evaluate MAM's potential biological activities beyond its antifungal properties. The analysis revealed several potential activities, including antibacterial, antiviral, and immunomodulatory effects, expanding the scope for future research and therapeutic applications. In conclusion, this computational study sheds light on the molecular interactions, pharmacokinetic properties, ADMET profiles, DFT optimization, and PASSES predictions of MAM. These findings highlight the potential of MAM as a promising antifungal agent with favorable pharmacological properties.

In this work, the multifunctional potential of four 3-acetylcoumarin derivatives was studied. The derivatives were significantly active against bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeoginosa and fungal strain Candida albicans. The results of antioxidant activity assays were promising when compared to ascorbic acid. The in vitro anticancer activity was carried out using MTT assay on human cancer cell line COLO-205 and 3ACDT showed commendable antiproliferative activity along with appreciable tumor selectivity with distinct selectivity index. Moreover, ADMET properties of the compounds were determined using the pKCSM and SwissADME online tools and all compounds were found with good pharmacokinetic profile. Hence, from the obtained results from all the 3-acetylcoumarin derivatives, 3ACDT exhibited good therapeutical potential and can be optimized for lead development.

Natural organic pigments such as carotenoids, betalains, anthocyanins, and carminic acid are notably found as safer food preservatives compared to other harmful synthetic chemicals. Due to glycosylation and acylation, betalains exhibit a broad-spectrum antimicrobial functionality with protection against degenerative diseases. Thus, betalains have been investigated as a potential bacterial inhibitor for food preservative applications. Initially, 36 betalain derivatives have been taken for primary screening using molecular docking. Afterward, the top ten ligands are taken for further study and analysis. The results of Prediction of Activity Spectrum of Substances (PASS) assured the antibacterial capabilities of betalains, and Lipinski's rule-of-five ensures the acceptability of the selected ligands as antibacterial inhibitors. The bacterial pathogens, such as C. botulinum (3FIE), E. coli (2ZWK), and S. typhi (3UU2) are selected for molecular docking by these betalain pigments. Furthermore, ADMET investigations and QSAR studies are performed to check insights into the bacterial inhibition process. Most active and common binding sides were observed at GLY159, ASN165, and SER166 for C. botulinum, at ASP8, LYS40, and TRP50 for E. coli; and at ARG37, GLN5, and ARG74 for S. typhi. The present study clearly shows an excellent insight towards the invention of plant-based new organic inhibitors to face the challenges of bacterial-resistant common food preservatives.

Sulfonamides are a very good antibacterial agent that targets essential bacterial enzymes specifically DNA gyrase. The objective of the present work was to investigate the molecular docking of the (4-(tert-butyl)-N,N-diethylbenzenesulfonamide) with the DNA gyrase of S. aureus. The energy-free topoisomerase activity of the A subunit, which breaks the DNA, is inhibited by 4-quilones such as nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin. The energy transducing activity of the B subunit is inhibited by novobiocin and other coumarin antibiotics. Single crystal X-ray diffractometer study was carried out to understand the structure, physical and chemical reactive parameters, the title compound is crystallized under monoclinic crystal system with the space group of P21/C. To understand the behaviour of the title compound in living organism, Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion analysis was done using Swiss ADME and Osiris data warrior tool. Further, Toxicity of the title compound was predicted by using PKCSM online software.