A QSAR Toxicity Study of a Series of Alkaloids with the Lycoctonine Skeleton

Abstract

A QSAR toxicity analysis has been performed for a series of 19 alkaloids with the lycoctonine skeleton. GA-MLRA (Genetic Algorithm combined with Multiple Linear Regression Analysis) technique was applied for the generation of two types of QSARs: first, models containing exclusively 3D-descriptors and second, models consisting of physicochemical descriptors. As expected, 3D-descriptor QSARs have better statistical fits. Physicochemical-descriptor containing models, that are in a good agreement with the mode of toxic action exerted by the alkaloids studied, have also been identified and discussed. In particular, TPSA (Topological Polar Surface Area) and nC=O (number of –C(O)– fragments) parameters give the best statistically significant mono- and bidescriptor models (when combined with lipophilicity, MlogP) confirming the importance of H-bonding capability of the alkaloids for binding at the receptor site.

Keywords

• Aconitum alkaloids
• Delphinium alkaloids
• QSAR
• toxicity
• lycoctonine