Investigating the antiviral therapeutic potentialities of marine polycyclic lamellarin pyrrole alkaloids as promising inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 and Zika main proteases (Mpro)

Florbela Pereira, Loay Bedda, Mohamed A. Tammamd, Abdul Kader Alabdullahe, Reem Arafab, Amr El-Demerdash

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The new coronavirus variant (SARS-CoV-2) and Zika virus are two world-wide health pandemics. Along history, natural products-based drugs have always crucially recognized as a main source of valuable medications. Considering the SARS-CoV-2 and Zika main proteases (Mpro) as the re-production key element of the viral cycle and its main target, herein we report an intensive computer-aided virtual screening for a focused list of 39 marine lamellarins pyrrole alkaloids, against SARS-CoV-2 and Zika main proteases (Mpro) using a set of combined modern computational methodologies including molecular docking (MDock), molecule dynamic simulations (MDS) and structure-activity relationships (SARs) as well. Indeed, the molecular docking studies had revealed four promising marine alkaloids including [lamellarin H (14)/K (17)] and [lamellarin S (26)/Z (39)], according to their notable ligand-protein energy scores and relevant binding affinities with the SARS-CoV-2 and Zika (Mpro) pocket residues, respectively. Consequentially, these four chemical hits were further examined thermodynamically though investigating their MD simulations at 100 ns, where they showed prominent stability within the accommodated (Mpro) pockets. Moreover, in-deep SARs studies suggested the crucial roles of the rigid fused polycyclic ring system, particularly aromatic A- and F- rings, position of the phenolic -OH and δ-lactone functionalities as essential structural and pharmacophoric features. Finally, these four promising lamellarins alkaloids were investigated for their in-silico ADME using the SWISS ADME platform, where they displayed appropriated drug-likeness properties. Such motivating outcomes are greatly recommending further in vitro/vivo examinations regarding those lamellarins pyrrole alkaloids (LPAs).
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3983–4001
Number of pages19
JournalJournal Of Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics
Volume42
Issue number8
Early online date26 May 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Keywords

  • antiviral
  • dynamics simulation
  • lamellarins alkaloids
  • marine sponges
  • molecular docking
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Zika virus

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