A Description of the Local Structure and Dynamics of Ketoconazole Molecule by Solid‐State NMR Measurements and DFT Calculations: Proposition for NMR Crystallography

Analyzing atomic scale structural details and nuclear spin dynamics of four macrolide antibiotics: erythromycin, clarithromycin, azithromycin, and roxithromycin

The current investigation centers on elucidating the intricate molecular architecture and dynamic behavior of four macrolide antibiotics, specifically erythromycin, clarithromycin, azithromycin, and roxithromycin, through the application of sophisticated solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) methodologies. We have measured the principal components of chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) parameters, and the site-specific spin-lattice relaxation time at carbon nuclei sites. To extract the principal components of CSA parameters, we have employed 13C 2DPASS CP-MAS SSNMR experiments at two different values of magic angle spinning (MAS) frequencies, namely 2 kHz and 600 Hz. Additionally, the spatial correlation between 13C and 1H nuclei has been investigated using 1H-13C frequency switched Lee-Goldburg heteronuclear correlation (FSLGHETCOR) experiment at a MAS frequency of 24 kHz. Our findings demonstrate that the incorporation of diverse functional groups, such as the ketone group and oxime group with the lactone ring, exerts notable influences on the structure and dynamics of the macrolide antibiotic. In particular, we have observed a significant decrease in the spin-lattice relaxation time of carbon nuclei residing on the lactone ring, desosamine, and cladinose in roxithromycin, compared to erythromycin. Overall, our findings provide detailed insight into the relationship between the structure and dynamics of macrolide antibiotics, which is eventually correlated with their biological activity. This knowledge can be utilized to develop new and more effective drugs by providing a rational basis for drug discovery and design.

Atomic-Scale Resolution Insights into Structural and Dynamic Differences between Ofloxacin and Levofloxacin

This study employs advanced solid-state NMR techniques to investigate the atomic-level structure and dynamics of two enantiomers: ofloxacin and levofloxacin. The investigation focuses on critical attributes, such as the principal components of the chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) tensor, the spatial proximity of ¹H and ¹³C nuclei, and site-specific ¹³C spin-lattice relaxation time, to reveal the local electronic environment surrounding specific nuclei. Levofloxacin, the levo-isomer of ofloxacin, exhibits higher antibiotic efficacy than its counterpart, and the dissimilarities in the CSA parameters indicate significant differences in the local electronic configuration and nuclear spin dynamics between the two enantiomers. Additionally, the study employs the ¹H-¹³C frequency-switched Lee-Goldburg heteronuclear correlation (FSLGHETCOR) experiment to identify the presence of heteronuclear correlations between specific nuclei (C15 and H7 nuclei and C13 and H12 nuclei) in ofloxacin but not in levofloxacin. These observations offer insights into the link between bioavailability and nuclear spin dynamics, underscoring the significance of NMR crystallography approaches in advanced drug design.

Investigation of the Influence of Various Functional Groups on the Dynamics of Glucocorticoids

The basic configuration of glucocorticoid consists of four-fused rings associated with one cyclohexadienone ring, two cyclohexane rings, and one cyclopentane ring. The ways the structure and dynamics of five glucocorticoids (prednisone, prednisolone, prednisolone acetate, methylprednisolone, and methylprednisolone acetate) are altered because of the substitution of various functional groups with these four-fused rings are studied thoroughly by applying sophisticated solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methodologies. The biological activities of these glucocorticoids are also changed because of the attachment of various functional groups with these four-fused rings. The substitution of the hydroxyl group (with the C11 atom of the cyclohexane ring) in place of the keto group enhances the potential of the glucocorticoid to cross the cellular membrane. As a result, the bioavailability of prednisolone (the hydroxyl group is attached with the C11 atom of the cyclohexane ring) is increased compared to prednisone (the keto group is attached with the C11 atom of cyclohexane rings). Another notable point is that the spin-lattice relaxation rate at crystallographically distinct carbon nuclei sites of prednisolone is increased compared to that of the prednisone, which implies that the motional degrees of freedom of glucocorticoid is increased because of the substitution of the hydroxyl group in place of the keto group of the cyclohexane ring. The attachment of the methyl group with the C6 atom of cyclohexane rings further reduces the spin-lattice relaxation time at crystallographically distinct carbon nuclei sites of glucocorticoid and its bioactivity is also increased. By comparing the spin-lattice relaxation time and the local correlation time at crystallographically different carbon nuclei sites of three steroids prednisone, prednisolone, and methylprednisolone, it is observed that both the spin-lattice relaxation time and the local correlation time gradually decrease at each crystallographically distinct carbon nuclei sites when we move from prednisone to prednisolone to methyl-prednisolone. On the other hand, if we compare the same for prednisolone, prednisolone acetate, and methylprednisolone acetate, then we also observe that both the spin-lattice relaxation time and the local-correlation time gradually decrease from prednisolone to prednisolone acetate to methylprednisolone acetate for all chemically different carbon nuclei. It is also noticeable that both the spin-lattice relaxation time and the local-correlation time gradually decrease from prednisone to prednisolone to prednisolone acetate to methylprednisolone to methylprednisolone acetate for most of the carbon nuclei sites. From in silico analysis, it is also revealed that the bioavailability and efficacy of the glucocorticoid increase from prednisone to prednisolone to prednisolone acetate to methylprednisolone to methylprednisolone acetate. Hence, it can be concluded that the biological activity and the motional degrees of freedom of the glucocorticoids are highly correlated. These types of studies provide a clear picture of the structure-activity relationship of the drug molecules, which will enlighten the path of developing highly potent glucocorticoids with minimum side effects. Another important aspect of these types of studies is to provide information about the electronics configuration and nuclear spin dynamics at crystallographically different carbon nuclei sites of five glucocorticoids, which will enrich the field of "NMR crystallography".