Title
Antifungal Activity and In Silico Studies on 2-Acylated Benzo-and Naphthohydroquinones
Date Issued
01 May 2022
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Publisher(s)
MDPI
Abstract
The high rates of morbidity and mortality due to fungal infections are associated with a limited antifungal arsenal and the high toxicity of drugs. Therefore, the identification of novel drug targets is challenging due to the several resemblances between fungal and human cells. Here, we report the in vitro antifungal evaluation of two acylphenols series, namely 2-acyl-1,4-benzo-and 2-acyl-1,4-naphthohydroquinones. The antifungal properties were assessed on diverse Candida and filamentous fungi strains through the halo of inhibition (HOI) and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). The antifungal activities of 2-acyl-1,4-benzohydroquinone derivatives were higher than those of the 2-acyl-1,4-naphthohydroquinone analogues. The evaluation indicates that 2-octanoylbenzohydroquinone 4 is the most active member of the 2-acylbenzohydroquinone series, with MIC values ranging from 2 to 16 µg/mL. In some fungal strains (i.e., Candida krusei and Rhizopus oryzae), such MIC values of compound 4 (2 and 4 µg/mL) were comparable to that obtained by am-photericin B (1 µg/mL). The compound 4 was evaluated for its antioxidant activity by means of FRAP, ABTS and DPPH assays, showing moderate activity as compared to standard antioxidants. Molecular docking studies of compound 4 and ADMET predictions make this compound a potential candidate for topical pharmacological use. The results obtained using the most active acylbenzohydroquinones are promising because some evaluated Candida strains are known to have decreased sensitivity to standard antifungal treatments.
Volume
27
Issue
9
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Farmacología, Farmacia Ciencias de las plantas, Botánica
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85130059227
PubMed ID
Source
Molecules
ISSN of the container
14203049
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus