Síntese e avaliação in silico de derivados γ-lactama como possíveis inibidores do fotossistema II

Abstract

The development of new compounds with herbicidal activity is a crucial demand in modern agriculture due to the challenges in weed control, particularly the emergence of species resistant to commercial herbicides caused by their improper and continuous use. Unsaturated γ-lactam derivatives, especially 2H-pyrrole-2-ones, have shown potential as herbicidal agents due to their structural chemical properties, such as the presence of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl systems and electron-withdrawing groups like the nitro group. This study aimed to synthesize unsaturated γ-lactam derivatives and perform molecular docking analysis with the D1 protein. Three derivatives were synthesized via multicomponent reactions with moderate yields, two of which are novel compounds. In the molecular docking study, significant intermolecular interactions were observed between the nitro group and the His251 amino acid residue, suggesting that these compounds may have the potential to inhibit electron transport in photosystem II. Additionally, in silico studies revealed that the absolute configuration of the stereogenic center in the lactam structure plays a crucial role in ligand binding to the active site, directly influencing interactions with the amino acids of the D1 protein. Therefore, the findings of this study provide valuable insights for the development of new herbicides.