Solvent dependent bioactivity and spectroscopic characterization of neovestitol from Nigerian propolis using experimental and computational methods

In this study, Neovestitol (NVT) isolated from Imo propolis was characterized, revealing its chemical structure and confirming its identity through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis, which revealed two aromatic rings and a pyran ring, as confirmed by 2D NMR. The compound exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against various pathogens. The antimicrobial assay of the isolated compound, NVT, showed good antibacterial/antifungal activity with zones of inhibition in the range 29-34 mm. The MIC, MBC, and MFC values ​​were between 6.25 and 25 µg/mL, showing its potential as an antimicrobial agent. Further studies were performed to analyse the reactivity, stability, and electronic distribution from the DFT/WB97XD/6-311 + + G(2d,2p) level of theory of NVT in the different solvents DMSO, Gas, methanol, and water. Frontier molecular orbital (FMO) examination revealed stability of the neovestitol, with noteworthy electronic state transitions observed via UV‒Vis excitation analysis. Geometry optimization studies indicated minimal differences in bond lengths across phases, emphasizing the relevance of NVT in drug design. Molecular docking of NVT against vancomycin-resistant enterococci, Salmonella typhi, Candida krusei, and Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated more promising antimicrobial properties, with the best poses of -8.4 kcal/mol, -6.4 kcal/mol, -6.6 kcal/mol, and - 7.0 kcal/mol, respectively. The compound demonstrated comparable binding affinities to standard antibiotics, which have binding affinities of -8.9 kcal/mol, -6.6 kcal/mol, -6.8 kcal/mol, and - 7.0 kcal/mol, corresponding to linezolid, ciprofloxacin, fluconazole, and oxacillin. Comprehensive pharmacokinetic parameters were examined, shedding light on the safety profile and potential clinical applications of NVT.