Integrated QSAR, Molecular Docking, ADMET Profiling, and Antioxidant Evaluation of Substituted Chromone and Aryloxyalkanoic Acid Derivatives as Potential CysLT1 Receptor Antagonists.

Background

Cysteinyl leukotrienes are components of slow-reacting substances of anaphylactic shock (SRS-A) and play a key role in asthma and inflammatory responses. Although chromone-2-carboxylic acids and substituted (aryloxy)alkanoic acids have the potential to be SRS-A antagonists, their comprehensive structure-activity relationships and pharmacokinetic characteristics remain understudied.

Objective

This study integrated computational and experimental approaches, including QSAR modeling, molecular docking, ADMET analysis, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and antioxidant evaluation to identify and prioritize bifunctional compounds with anti-inflammatory and free radical-scavenging properties.

Methods

A set of 68 compounds was analyzed using 2D and 3D quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) (MLR, MNLR, SVR, ANN, and atom-based partial least squares). Molecular docking and 100 ns MD simulations were performed against the CysLT1 receptor (PDB ID: 6RZ5). ADMET and drug-like properties of the compounds were predicted using ADMETlab 2.0 and SwissADME, and the in vitro antioxidant activity of the top-ranked compounds was evaluated using the DPPH method.

Results

The atom-based 3D-QSAR model showed strong predictive power (R2 = 0.9524, Q2 = 0.5382). Compounds 25, 41, and 47 stood out with the most significant binding energies: -9.5 kcal/mol for 25, -10.0 kcal/mol for 41, and -9.4 kcal/mol for 47. MD simulations confirmed the structural stability and consistent interactions of the protein-compound 47 complex. ADMET analysis showed that compounds 25 and 41 had good pharmacokinetic properties, and in vitro antioxidant assays verified their free radical-scavenging efficacy.

Conclusion

Our results highlight the utility of an integrated computational-experimental strategy for the discovery of dual-acting SRS-A antagonists. Compound 25 is highlighted as a promising lead compound for further preclinical development, which effectively combines leukotriene receptor antagonism and antioxidant activity. This framework provides an effective strategy for prioritizing lead compounds in anti-inflammatory drug development.