A new chiral boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY)-based fluorescent probe: molecular docking, DFT, antibacterial and antioxidant approaches

A new chiral BODIPY-based fluorescent compound, 5-bromo-4,4-difluoro-3(S)-1-phenylethyl)amino) BODIPY, 4 was synthesized for biomedical applications. Optical, antimicrobial, antioxidant properties of the compound 4 are investigated. The partition coefficient suggested that the compound 4 has the potential to be developed as an active antibacterial and antioxidant candidate. In this context, antibacterial assay was carried out for compound 4 against various bacterial strains, revealing maximum inhibition zone (24 ± 2.19 mm) in Escherichia coli. Moreover, results of antioxidant activity of compound 4 revealed IC50 values to be greater than ascorbic acid. Molecular docking has given brief insight about the binding of the compound 4, suggesting that it has a strong potential to inhibit bacterial target enzymes viz., DNA gyrase, enzymes in the type II fatty acid synthesis and Ddl (d-alanine: d-alanine ligase) in peptidoglycan synthesis. The molecular geometry and electrostatic potential of compound 4, was established by DFT (Density Functional Theory) calculations.
AbbreviationsBBB
blood‒brain barrier
BDEbond dissociation energy
BODIPYboron–dipyrromethane
DdlD-alanine:D-alanine ligase
DDQ2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone
DFTdensity functional theory
DNAdeoxyribonucleic acid
DPPH1,1‒diphenyl‒2‒picrylhydrazyl
NBSN-bromo succinimide
ROSreactive oxygen species
UV–visultraviolet–visible
FMOfrontier molecular orbitals
HOMOhighest occupied molecular orbital
LUMOlowest unoccupied molecular orbital

blood‒brain barrier
bond dissociation energy
boron–dipyrromethane
D-alanine:D-alanine ligase
2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone
density functional theory
deoxyribonucleic acid
1,1‒diphenyl‒2‒picrylhydrazyl
N-bromo succinimide
reactive oxygen species
ultraviolet–visible
frontier molecular orbitals
highest occupied molecular orbital
lowest unoccupied molecular orbital
Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma