RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The latest coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, discovered in China and rapidly spread Worldwide. COVID-19 affected millions of people and killed hundreds of thousands worldwide. There are many ongoing studies investigating drug(s) suitable for preventing and/or treating this pandemic; however, there are no specific drugs or vaccines available to treat or prevent SARS-CoV-2 as of today. METHODS: Fifty-eight fragrance materials, which are classified as allergen fragrance molecules, were selected and used in this study. Docking simulations were carried out using four functional proteins; the Covid19 Main Protase (MPro), Receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike protein, Nucleocapsid, and host Bromodomain protein (BRD2), as target macromolecules. Three different software, AutoDock, AutoDock Vina (Vina), and Molegro Virtual Docker (MVD), running a total of four different docking protocol with optimized energy functions were used. Results were compared with the five molecules reported in the literature as potential drugs against COVID-19. Virtual screening was carried out using Vina, molecules satisfying our cut-off (- 6.5 kcal/mol) binding affinity was confirmed by MVD. Selected molecules were analyzed using the flexible docking protocol of Vina and AutoDock default settings. RESULTS: Ten out of 58 allergen fragrance molecules were selected for further docking studies. MPro and BRD2 are potential targets for the tested allergen fragrance molecules, while RBD and Nucleocapsid showed weak binding energies. According to AutoDock results, three molecules, Benzyl Cinnamate, Dihydroambrettolide, and Galaxolide, had good binding affinities to BRD2. While Dihydroambrettolide and Galaxolide showed the potential to bind to MPro, Sclareol and Vertofix had the best calculated binding affinities to this target. When the flexible docking results analyzed, all the molecules tested had better calculated binding affinities as expected. Benzyl Benzoate and Benzyl Salicylate showed good binding affinities to BRD2. In the case of MPro, Sclareol had the lowest binding affinity among all the tested allergen fragrance molecules. CONCLUSION: Allergen fragrance molecules are readily available, cost-efficient, and shown to be safe for human use. Results showed that several of these molecules had comparable binding affinities as the potential drug molecules reported in the literature to target proteins. Thus, these allergen molecules at correct doses could have significant health benefits.
Asunto(s)
Alérgenos/química , Alérgenos/inmunología , Tratamiento Farmacológico de COVID-19 , COVID-19/inmunología , Odorantes , Perfumes/química , SARS-CoV-2/química , SARS-CoV-2/inmunología , Adenosina Monofosfato/análogos & derivados , Adenosina Monofosfato/química , Adenosina Monofosfato/metabolismo , Alanina/análogos & derivados , Alanina/química , Alanina/metabolismo , Alérgenos/administración & dosificación , Alérgenos/uso terapéutico , Benzopiranos/química , Benzopiranos/metabolismo , Compuestos de Bencilo/química , Compuestos de Bencilo/metabolismo , Cinamatos/química , Cinamatos/metabolismo , Proteasas 3C de Coronavirus/química , Proteasas 3C de Coronavirus/metabolismo , Proteínas de la Nucleocápside de Coronavirus/química , Proteínas de la Nucleocápside de Coronavirus/metabolismo , Diterpenos/química , Diterpenos/metabolismo , Evaluación Preclínica de Medicamentos , Humanos , Ligandos , Simulación del Acoplamiento Molecular , Perfumes/administración & dosificación , Perfumes/uso terapéutico , Fosfoproteínas/química , Fosfoproteínas/metabolismo , SARS-CoV-2/efectos de los fármacos , Glicoproteína de la Espiga del Coronavirus/química , Glicoproteína de la Espiga del Coronavirus/metabolismo , Factores de Transcripción/química , Factores de Transcripción/metabolismoRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To probe into the therapeutic effect of perfume stimulating olfaction with volatile oil of Acorus Gramineus on the Alzheimer's disease (AD) rat. METHODS: Totally 50 adult SD rats, male,weighing 300 +/- 10 g, were randomly divided into 5 groups, normal group (group A), olfactory nerve severing model group (group B), AD model group (group C), AD model plus perfume stimulation group (group D), AD model olfactory nerve severing plus perfume stimulation group (group E), 10 rats in each group. After perfume stimulation, Morris maze test was conducted for valuating the learning and memory ability; Malondaldehyde (MDA) content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in the brain, and the brain weight were detected. RESULTS: Compared with the AD model group, the average escape latency and swimming distance in 6 days were significantly shorter than those in the group A, B, D (P < 0.01), with no significant differences between the group C and the group E (P > 0.05); Compared with the group A, B and D, MDA content in the group C significantly increased (P < 0.01), and SOD and GSH-Px activities significantly decreased (P < 0.01), and brain weight/body weight decreased significantly in the group C (P < 0.01), with no significant differences between the group C and the group E (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Perfume stimultating olfaction with volatile oil of Acorus Gramineus can significantly increase the learning-memory ability, decrease MDA content and increase SOD and GSH-Px activities and weight of brain in AD rats.