Deciphering Spectroscopic and Structural Insights into the Photophysical Behavior of 2,2'-Dipyridylamine: An Efficient Environment Sensitive Fluorescence Probe.

Excited state deactivation properties and the effects of solvent hydrogen bonding (HB) on the photophysical behavior of 2,2'-dypyridylamine (DPyA) were investigated by steady state and time-resolved fluorescence experiments, molecular docking, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In addition to the polarity effect, the contributions of solvent HB donation (HBD) acidity and HB acceptance (HBA) basicity to modulate the solvatochromic spectral properties were estimated from multiparametric linear regression analysis using Kamlet-Taft (KT) and Catalán formalisms. The importance of C-N bond torsion, leading to the trans → cis conversion, was manifested by substantial increase in DPyA fluorescence yield in the presence of cyclodextrin (CD) and glycerol. The unusually low fluorescence yield in aqueous medium was explained on the basis of synergistic effect of solvent hydrogen bonding combined with excited state conformational isomerization, which renders DPyA to be an excellent environment sensitive fluorescence reporter. The experimental results were verified with structural insights obtained from DFT calculations at B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level and construction of potential energy surface (PES) in the ground state as well as in the excited states.

Exploring the interaction of bioactive kaempferol with serum albumin, lysozyme and hemoglobin: A biophysical investigation using multi-spectroscopic, docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies.

In recent years research based on kaempferol (KMP) has shown its potential therapeutic applications in medicinal chemistry and clinical biology. Therefore, to understand its molecular recognition mechanism, we studied its interactions with the carrier proteins, namely, human serum albumin (HSA), bovine hemoglobin (BHb) and hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL). The ligand, KMP was able to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of these three proteins efficiently through static quenching mode. The binding constant (Kb) for the interactions of KMP with these three proteins were found in the following order: HSA-KMP > BHb-KMP > HEWL-KMP. Different non-covalent forces such as hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic forces played a major role in the binding of KMP with HSA and HEWL, whereas hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces contribute to the complexation of BHb with KMP. KMP was able to alter the micro-environment near the Trp fluorophore of the proteins. KMP altered the secondary structural component of all three proteins. The putative binding sites and the residues surrounding the KMP molecule within the respective protein matrix were determined through molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies. The conformational flexibility of the ligand KMP and the three individual proteins were also evident from the MD simulation studies.

Targeting the heme protein hemoglobin by (-)-epigallocatechin gallate and the study of polyphenol-protein association using multi-spectroscopic and computational methods.

In this work, the interaction of a bioactive tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) with bovine hemoglobin (BHb) along with its anti-oxidative behavior and the anti-glycation property have been explored using multi-spectroscopic and computational techniques. The binding affinity for EGCG towards BHb was observed to be moderate in nature with an order of 104 M-1, and the fluorescence quenching mechanism was characterized by an unusual static quenching mechanism. The binding constant (Kb) showed a continuous enhancement with temperature from 3.468 ± 0.380 × 104 M-1 at 288 K to 6.017 ± 0.601 × 104 M-1 at 310 K. The fluorescence emission measurements along with molecular docking studies indicated that EGCG binds near the most dominant fluorophore of BHb (ß2-Trp37, at the interface of α1 and ß2 chains) within the pocket formed by the α1, α2 and ß2 chains. The sign and magnitude of the thermodynamic parameters, changes in enthalpy (ΔH = +17.004 ± 1.007 kJ mol-1) and in entropy (ΔS = +146.213 ± 2.390 J K-1 mol-1), indicate that hydrophobic forces play a major role in stabilizing the BHb-EGCG complex. The micro-environment around the EGCG binding site showed an increase in hydrophobicity upon ligand binding. The binding of EGCG with BHb leads to a decrease in the α-helical content, whereas that of the ß-sheet increased. FTIR studies also indicated that the secondary structure of BHb changed upon binding with EGCG, along with providing further support for the presence of hydrophobic forces in the complexation process. Molecular docking studies indicated that EGCG binds within the cavity of α1, α2, and ß2 chains surrounded by residues such as α1- Lys99, α1-Thr134, α1-Thr137, α1-Tyr140, α2-Lys127 and ß2-Trp37. Molecular dynamics simulation studies indicated that EGCG conferred additional stability to BHb. Furthermore, moving away from the binding studies, EGCG was found to prevent the glyoxal (GO)-mediated glycation process of BHb, and it was also found to act as a potent antioxidant against the photo-oxidative damage of BHb.

Therapeutic potency of substituted chromones as Alzheimer's drug: Elucidation of acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity through spectroscopic and molecular modelling investigation.

Introduction: Documentation on the potency of chromones as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) antagonists has paved the way for the design and usage of new chromone analogues as inhibitors of AChE modelled on the hypothesis based on cholinergic pathway of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, 2 minimally substituted chromones, namely 3-cyanochromone (CyC) and 7-amino-3- methylchromone (AMC), were checked for their AChE inhibition efficacies and plasma protein modulation. Methods: Colorimetric enzymatic assay as well as fluorescence measurements were performed for obtaining the experimental results, which were further corroborated by molecular docking and simulation studies. Results: The investigated systems exhibited strong inhibition activities against AChE, with CyC (IC50= 85.12 ± 6.70 nM) acting as better inhibitor than AMC (IC50 = 103.09 ± 11.90 nM) and both having IC50 values in the range of FDA approved cholinergic drug Donepezil (IC50 = 74.13 ± 8.30 nM). Non-competitive inhibition was observed in both the cases with the inhibitors binding near the peripheral anionic site (PAS) of the enzyme. Having one planar nitrile group in CyC as compared to sp3 hybridised substituents in AMC facilitated stacking interactions in the former, accounting for its higher inhibitory efficacy. A significant decrease in the inhibition potency of CyC (~32%) was noted in comparison with AMC (~5%) when the experiments were performed in presence of human serum albumin (HSA) instead of pure aqueous buffer. Conclusion: This comparative study affirms the importance of meticulous substitution in the chromone scaffold to promote maximum inhibition potency, while considering their usage as AD drugs.

Lysozyme-luteolin binding: molecular insights into the complexation process and the inhibitory effects of luteolin towards protein modification.

In the proposed work, the complexation of bioactive flavonoid luteolin with hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) along with its inhibitory influence on HEWL modification has been explored with the help of multi-spectroscopic and computational methods. The binding affinity has been observed to be moderate in nature (in the order of 104 M-1) and the static quenching mechanism was found to be involved in the fluorescence quenching process. The binding constant (Kb) shows a progressive increase with the increase in temperature from (4.075 ± 0.046 × 104 M-1) at 293 K to (6.962 ± 0.024 × 104 M-1) at 313 K under experimental conditions. Spectroscopic measurements along with molecular docking calculations suggest that Trp62 is involved in the binding site of luteolin within the geometry of HEWL. The positive changes in enthalpy (ΔH = +19.99 ± 0.65 kJ mol-1) as well as entropy (ΔS = +156.28 ± 2.00 J K-1 mol-1) are indicative of the presence of hydrophobic forces that stabilize the HEWL-luteolin complex. The micro-environment around the Trp residues showed an increase in hydrophobicity as indicated by synchronous fluorescence (SFS), three dimensional fluorescence (3D) and red edge excitation (REES) studies. The % α-helix of HEWL showed a marked reduction upon binding with luteolin as indicated by circular dichroism (CD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) studies. Moreover, luteolin is situated at a distance of 4.275 ± 0.004 nm from the binding site as indicated by FRET theory, and the rate of energy transfer kET (0.063 ± 0.004 ns-1) has been observed to be faster than the donor decay rate (1/τD = 0.606 ns-1), which is indicative of the non-radiative energy transfer during complexation. Leaving aside the binding study, luteolin showed promising inhibitory effects towards the d-ribose mediated glycation of HEWL as well as towards HEWL fibrillation as studied by fluorescence emission and imaging studies. Excellent correlation with the experimental observations as well as precise location and dynamics of luteolin within the binding site has been obtained from molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies.

An insight into the binding of 6-hydroxyflavone with hen egg white lysozyme: a combined approach of multi-spectroscopic and computational studies.

The interaction of 6-hydroxyflavone (6HF) with hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) has been executed using multi-spectroscopic and computational methods. Steady state fluorescence studies indicated that static quenching mechanism is involved in the binding of 6HF with HEWL, which was further supported by excited state lifetime and UV-vis absorption studies. The binding constant (Kb) of the HEWL-6HF complex was observed to be 6.44 ± 0.09 × 104 M-1 at 293 K, which decreases with the increase in temperature. The calculation of the thermodynamic quantities showed that the binding is exothermic in nature with a negative enthalpy change (ΔH = -11.91 ± 1.02 kJ mol-1) along with a positive entropy change (ΔS = +51.36 ± 2.43 J K-1 mol-1), and the major forces responsible for the binding are hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. The possibility of energy transfer from tryptophan (Trp) residue to the 6HF ligand was observed from Fo¨rster's theory. The inclusion of 6HF within the binding site of HEWL induces some micro-environmental changes around the Trp residues as indicated by synchronous and three-dimensional (3D) fluorescence studies. The changes in secondary structural components of HEWL are observed on binding with 6HF along with a reduction in % α-helical content. Computational studies correlate well with the experimental finding, and the ligand 6HF is found to bind near to Trp 62 and Trp 63 residues of HEWL. Altogether, the present study provides an insight into the interaction dynamics and energetics of the binding of 6HF to HEWL. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

An efficient synthesis of triazolium ion based NHC precursors using diaryliodonium salts and their photophysical properties.

Copper-catalysed N-arylation of fused triazoles using diaryliodonium salts as an aryl source is described. This scalable protocol displayed good compatibility towards diverse sensitive functional groups like ester, alkyl and nitro groups and halogens (F, Cl, Br). The synthetic usefulness of the prepared triazolium salts was proved by preparing α-hydroxyketone through benzoin condensation. Photophysical studies of these compounds showed promising Stokes-shifted fluorescence emission in aqueous medium, so this molecular framework could be a proficient probe for biological applications.

Molecular recognition of bio-active flavonoids quercetin and rutin by bovine hemoglobin: an overview of the binding mechanism, thermodynamics and structural aspects through multi-spectroscopic and molecular dynamics simulation studies.

The binding of two bio-active flavonoids, quercetin and rutin, with bovine hemoglobin (BHb) was investigated by multi-spectroscopic and computational (molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation) studies. The two flavonoids were found to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of BHb through a static quenching mechanism. The binding constants at 288 K were observed to be (14.023 ± 0.73) × 104 M-1 and (7.848 ± 0.20) × 104 M-1, respectively for quercetin and rutin binding with BHb. Both rutin and quercetin were observed to increase the polarity around the Trp residues of BHb as indicated by synchronous and 3D spectral studies. No significant alterations in the secondary structural components of the protein were caused during the binding of the flavonoids as studied by CD and FTIR studies. The negative molar Gibbs free energies indicated the spontaneity of the interaction processes while the binding processes were characterized by a negative enthalpy change (ΔH) and a positive entropy change (ΔS). The possibility of energy transfer from the donor (BHb) to the acceptor molecules (flavonoids) was indicated by the FRET studies. According to the fluorescence studies, the flavonoids interact near to the ß2-Trp37 residue of BHb. Excellent correlations with the experimental studies were observed from the molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies. Further investigations established that these flavonoids are efficient in the inhibition of glucose mediated glycation of BHb.

Exploring the non-covalent binding behaviours of 7-hydroxyflavone and 3-hydroxyflavone with hen egg white lysozyme: Multi-spectroscopic and molecular docking perspectives.

The interactions of bio-active flavonoids, 7-hydroxyflavone (7HF) and 3-hydroxyflavone (3HF) with hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) have been established using differential spectroscopic techniques along with the help of molecular docking method. The characteristic dual fluorescence of 3HF due to the excited intramolecular state proton transfer (ESIPT) process is altered markedly upon binding with HEWL. Both the flavonoids quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of HEWL through static quenching mechanism while the binding affinity of 7HF was found to be greater than 3HF under experimental conditions. The binding constant (Kb) values were estimated to be in the order of 104 M-1 and decreased with the rise in temperature. The contributions of the thermodynamic parameters (ΔH° and ΔS°) revealed that hydrophobic forces along with hydrogen bonding played a crucial role in the interaction of HEWL with 7HF and 3HF respectively and this finding was aptly supported by the molecular docking studies. The donor (HEWL) to acceptors (7HF and 3HF) binding distances were calculated using the Föster's theory. The phenomena of blue shifting of the emission maxima of the residues indicated the increase in hydrophobicity around the Trp micro-environment upon addition of the flavonoids was observed from synchronous and 3D fluorescence measurements whereas REES study indicated the decrease in mobility of the Trp residues upon addition of the ligands. The CD, FTIR and thermal melting studies indicated the alteration in the structural stability of HEWL on ligand binding and it was found that the % α-helical content decreased on complexation with 7HF and 3HF respectively as compared to native state. The flavonoids were found to inhibit the enzymatic activity of HEWL. The molecular docking results and accessible surface area (ASA) calculations revealed that the flavonoids bind within the active site of HEWL. The negative ΔG° values obtained from experimental and molecular docking studies indicate the spontaneity of the interaction processes.

Correlation of cholinergic drug induced quenching of acetylcholinesterase bound thioflavin-T fluorescence with their inhibition activity.

The development of new acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) and subsequent assay of their inhibition efficiency is considered to be a key step for AD treatment. The fluorescence intensity of thioflavin-T (ThT) bound in the active site of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) quenches substantially in presence of standard AChEI drugs due to the dynamic replacement of the fluorophore from the AChE active site as confirmed from steady state emission as well as time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy measurement and molecular dynamics simulation in conjunction with docking calculation. The parametrized % quenching data for individual system shows excellent correlation with enzyme inhibition activity measured independently by standard Ellman AChE assay method in a high throughput plate reader system. The results are encouraging towards design of a fluorescence intensity based AChE inhibition assay method and may provide a better toolset to rapidly evaluate as well as develop newer AChE-inhibitors for AD treatment.

Characterization of non-covalent binding of 6-hydroxyflavone and 5,7-dihydroxyflavone with bovine hemoglobin: Multi-spectroscopic and molecular docking analyses.

Flavonoids are biologically imperative compounds used as anti-oxidants, anti-cancer, anti-bacterial agents etc. The current work reports comprehensive binding studies of two important flavonoids, 6-hydroxyflavone and 5,7-dihydroxyflavone (chrysin) with bovine hemoglobin (BHb) at 298K and 308K, in aqueous medium using UV-vis spectroscopy, steady state fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD) measurements, Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and molecular docking studies. Both 6-hydroxyflavone and chrysin can quench the intrinsic fluorescence intensity of BHb via static quenching mechanism. The values of binding constant (Kb) for BHb-chrysin complex (3.177±0.992×104M-1, at 298K) was found to be greater than that of BHb-6-hydroxyflavone complex (2.874±0.863×104M-1, at 298K) and the Kb values decreased with the rise in temperature. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that hydrophobic forces and H-bonding play crucial role in BHb-6-hydroxyflavone complexation whereas electrostatic interaction plays the major role in the binding of BHb and chrysin. The binding distances from donor BHb to the acceptor ligands (6-hydroxyflavone and chrysin) were estimated using the Föster's theory and the possibility of non-radiative energy transfer from BHb to 6-hydroxyflavone/chrysin was observed. The ligands, 6-hydroxyflavone and chrysin induced conformational change around Trp residues in BHb as confirmed by synchronous and 3D fluorescence results. CD and FT-IR studies indicated that the % α-helicity of BHb was enhanced due to 6-hydroxyflavone/chrysin binding. Both the flavonoids showed remarkable inhibitory effect towards BHb glycation. Hydrophobic probe (8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid, ANS) displacement and molecular docking studies revealed that the ligands bind within the hydrophobic pocket of BHb.

Lysozyme binding ability toward psychoactive stimulant drugs: Modulatory effect of colloidal metal nanoparticles.

The interaction and binding behavior of the well-known psychoactive stimulant drugs theophylline (THP) and theobromine (THB) with lysozyme (LYS) was monitored by in-vitro fluorescence titration and molecular docking calculations under physiological condition. The quenching of protein fluorescence on addition of the drugs is due to the formation of protein-drug complex in the ground state in both the cases. However, the binding interaction is almost three orders of magnitude stronger in THP, which involves mostly hydrogen bonding interaction in comparison with THB where hydrophobic binding plays the predominant role. The mechanism of fluorescence quenching (static type) remains same also in presence of gold and silver nanoparticles (NPs); however, the binding capacity of LYS with the drugs changes drastically in comparison with that in aqueous buffer medium. While the binding affinity of LYS to THB increases ca. 100 times in presence of both the NPs, it is seen to decrease drastically (by almost 1000 fold) for THP. This significant modulation in binding behavior indicates that the drug transportation capacity of LYS can be controlled significantly with the formation protein-NP noncovalent assembly system as an efficient delivery channel.