Evaluation of the Carcinogen-Scavenging Activity of Polyphenolic Compounds by using Quantum Mechanics-based Protocol QM-CSA

3rd International Conference on Chemo and BioInformatics, Kragujevac, September 25-26, 2025. (pp. 66-70) 

 

AUTOR(I) / AUTHOR(S): Veronika Furlan, Urban Bren

 

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DOI:  10.46793/ICCBIKG25.066F

SAŽETAK / ABSTRACT:

This study explored the chemopreventive potential of (+)-catechin, rosmarinic acid, and gnaphaliin, prominent phenolic compounds found in Rosmarinus officinalis L., cocoa, and Helichrysum italicum, respectively, against the carcinogenic effects of aflatoxin B1 exo-8,9-epoxide (AFBO), a genotoxic metabolite of naturally occurring mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Activation free energy (∆G⧧) values for the studied reactions were determined using density functional theory (DFT) with the M11-L and MN12-L functionals, the 6-311++G(d,p) flexible basis set, and the implicit Solvation Model Density (SMD). These calculations followed our recently established quantum mechanics-based protocol for carcinogen scavenging activity (QM-CSA). The computational findings indicated that the activation free energy for the reaction of (+)-catechin, rosmarinic acid, and gnaphaliin with AFBO is notably lower than that of the reaction between AFBO and guanine (by 1.86 kcal/mol – 11.54 kcal/mol). The carcinogen scavenging activity (CSA) among the studied polyphenols, relative to guanine and glutathione, was found to follow the order: gnaphaliin > (+)-catechin > rosmarinic acid. This suggests that studied polyphenols serve as effective natural scavengers of AFBO, potentially inhibiting the formation of DNA adducts associated with AFB1.

KLJUČNE REČI / KEYWORDS:

polyphenolic compounds, aflatoxin B1, antigenotoxic effects, DFT calculations, QM- CSA protocol

PROJEKAT / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

This research is funded by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS) program and project grants Z4-60176, L7-60161, J2-60044, J1-60001, P2-0046, P1-0403, P2- 0438, J1-4398, L2-4430, J3-4498, J7-4638, J1-4414, J3-4497, J4-4633, J1-50034, J7-50043, I0-E015, J1-60016, as well as projects HyBReED and AI4SCI.

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