Anti-inflammatory biomolecular activity of chlorinated-phenyldiazenyl-naphthalene-2-sulfonic acid derivatives: perception from DFT, molecular docking, and molecular dynamic simulation

In this study, two novel derivatives of naphthalene-2-sulfonic acid: 6-(((1S,5R)-3,5-dichloro-2,4,6-triazabicyclo [z3.1.0]hex-3-en-1-yl)amino)-5-((E)-phenyldiazenyl)naphthalene-2-sulfonic acid (DTPS1) and (E)-6-((4,6-dichloro-1,3,5-triazine2-yl)amino)-4-hydroxy-3-(phenyldiazenyl)naphthalene-2-sulfonic acid (DTPS2) have been synthesized and characterized using FT-IR, UV-vis, and NMR spectroscopic techniques. Applying density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP, APFD, PBEPBE, HCTH, TPSSTPSS, and ωB97XD/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theories for the electronic structural properties. In-vitro analysis, molecular docking, molecular dynamic (MD) simulation of the compounds was conducted to investigate the anti-inflammatory potential using COXs enzymes. Docking indicates binding affinity of −9.57, −9.60, −6.77 and −7.37 kcal/mol for DTPS1, DTPS2, Ibuprofen and Diclofenac which agrees with in-vitro assay. Results of MD simulation, indicates sulphonic group in DTPS1 has > 30% interaction with the hydroxyl and oxygen atoms in amino acid residues, but > 35% interaction with the DTPS2. It can be said that the DTPS1 and DTPS2 can induce inhibitory effect on COXs to halt biosynthesis of prostaglandins (PGs), a chief mediator of inflammation and pain in mammals. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.