Zinc(II) complexes bearing N,N,S ligands: Synthesis, crystal structure, spectroscopic analysis, molecular docking and biological investigations about its antifungal activity

• Published in: Journal of inorganic biochemistry Vol. 237; p. 111995
• Main Authors: Souza, Rafael A.C., Cunha, Vito L., de Souza, Jonathan Henrique, Martins, Carlos H.G., Franca, Eduardo de F., Pivatto, Marcos, Ellena, Javier A., Faustino, Leandro A., Patrocinio, Antonio Otavio de T., Deflon, Victor M., Maia, Pedro Ivo da S., Oliveira, Carolina G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.12.2022
• Subjects: Antifungal Agents - chemistry; Candida albicans; Coordination Complexes - chemistry; Coordination Complexes - pharmacology; Hirshfeld surface; In silico ADME-Tox; Ligands; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Molecular docking; Molecular Docking Simulation; Molecular Structure; Thiosemicarbazones; Thiosemicarbazones - chemistry; X-ray crystallographic; Zinc - chemistry; Zinc(II); In silico ADME-Tox; X-ray crystallographic; Zinc(II); Thiosemicarbazones; Molecular docking; Hirshfeld surface
• ISSN: 0162-0134; 1873-3344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2022.111995

In the present work, the synthesis, characterization, antifungal activity, molecular docking study and in silico approach of five thiosemicarbazone derivatives and their corresponding zinc(II) complexes are described. The compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV–Vis and NMR spectroscopic measurements, molar conductivity measurements, emission spectra, high-resolution mass spectrometry and X ray study. The antifungal activity of the free ligands and synthesized compounds was preliminarily evaluated against Candida albicans (ATCC 90028), Candida tropicalis (ATCC 13803) and Candida glabrata (ATCC 2001), by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay. Two complexes, 4 (MIC = 3.18 to 6.37 μM) and 5 (MIC = 25.95 μM for all) showed promising results, being highly active against all strains evaluated. The X-ray analyses shown that the complex 2 crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group P21/c of the monoclinic system and the coordination sphere around zinc(II) atom is better described as slightly distorted octahedral. The Hirshfeld surface (HS) analysis showed that non-classical H···H and C···H/H···C contacts contribute with 65.9% while the S···H and N···H (21%) and Cl···H and O···H interactions (12%) complete the HS area. The molecular docking results, performed against CYP51 enzyme (sterol 14α-demethylase) of C. albicans and C. glabrata shows that the complexes 4 (ΔG = −10.75 and − 12.90 kcal/ mol) and 5 (ΔG = −11.12 and − 14.53 kcal/ mol) showed the highest binding free energies of all compounds. The ADME-Tox (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity) in silico parameters evaluated showed promising results for all compounds. [Display omitted] •Three new Zinc(II) complexes are synthesized and characterized.•Antifungal activity of free ligands and complexes were tested against Candida spp.•The molecular docking suggests strong interactions of the most active compound with CYP51 enzyme.•In silico ADMET showed a promising pharmacokinetic profile of Zn(II) complexes.