Design, synthesis and evaluation of a new Mn – Contrast agent for MR imaging of myocardium based on the DTPA-phenylpentadecanoic acid complex

[Display omitted] •New contrast agent for heart MRI (DTPA-PPDA Mn (II)) was designed and synthesized for the first time.•Phantom experiments revealed good degree of amplification of T1-weighted images.•DFT calculations showed higher complexation constant than for DTPA Mn (II).•Molecular docking revealed high affinity to a heart-type fatty acid binding protein. In the present paper we describe the first synthesis and evaluation of a novel Mn (II) complex (DTPA-PPDA Mn (II)) which contains a C-15 fatty acid moiety that has high affinity to the heart muscle. The complexation energy of DTPA-PPDA Mn (II) evaluated by quantum chemistry methodology indicates that it essentially exceeds the corresponding value for the known DTPA Mn (II) complex. Molecular docking revealed that the affinity of the designed complex to the heart-type transport protein H-FABP well exceeds that of lauric acid. Phantom experiments in low-field MRI the designed contrast agent provides MR imaging comparable to gadopentetic acid.