El-Ashrey MK, Bakr RO, Fayed MAA, Refaey RH, Nissan YM. Pharmacophore based virtual screening for natural product database revealed possible inhibitors for SARS-COV-2 main protease.
Virology 2022;
570:18-28. [PMID:
35339903 PMCID:
PMC8938917 DOI:
10.1016/j.virol.2022.03.003]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The challenge continues globally triggered by the absence of an approved antiviral drug against COVID-19 virus infection necessitating global concerted efforts of scientists. Nature still provides a renewable source for drugs used to solve many health problems. The aim of this work is to provide new candidates from natural origin to overcome COVID-19 pandemic. A virtual screening of the natural compounds database (47,645 compounds) using structure-based pharmacophore model and molecular docking simulations reported eight hits from natural origin against SARS-CoV-2 main proteinase (Mpro) enzyme. The successful candidates were of terpenoidal nature including taxusabietane, Isoadenolin A & C, Xerophilusin B, Excisanin H, Macrocalin B and ponicidin, phytoconstituents isolated from family Lamiaceae and sharing a common ent-kaurane nucleus, were found to be the most successful candidates. This study suggested that the diterpene nucleus has a clear positive contribution which can represent a new opportunity in the development of SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors.
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