In silico analysis, synthesis and biological evaluation of DHFR inhibitors

Introduction: Malaria is one of the varieties of fatal diseases caused by a protozoan parasite that is now considered to be the greatest global health challenge. A parasite of Plasmodium species triggers it transmitting the disease to humans by the bites of female Anopheles mosquitoes. Aim: To screen out designed molecules by molecular docking analysis and assess their pharmacokinetic properties using SwissADME. To synthesize the designed compounds. To characterize the synthesized compounds by TLC, melting point, IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, 1 H NMR, and 13 C NMR. To evaluate the synthesized compounds for antimalarial activity. Materials and methods: In silico analysis was performed with SWISSADME, and molecular docking was performed by AutoDock Vina version 4.2. In vitro antimalarial activity study was performed. Results: In-vitro studies of synthesized molecules showed that compounds C2 (IC 50 1.23), C6 (IC 50 0.48), C10 (IC 50 0.79), and C14 (IC 50 0.19) possess good antimalarial activity. Conclusions: 7-chloroquinoline-piperazine derivatives exhibited potential antimalarial compounds for pf-DHFR inhibitors.