Academic Journal

Computational study of amino acid-transition metal complexes as potential Helicobacter pylori urease enzyme inhibitors: DFT, molecular docking and ADMET analysis.

Λεπτομέρειες βιβλιογραφικής εγγραφής
Τίτλος: Computational study of amino acid-transition metal complexes as potential Helicobacter pylori urease enzyme inhibitors: DFT, molecular docking and ADMET analysis.
Συγγραφείς: Abdullahi, Muhammad Mustapha, Abdulsalam, Safiya, Hamza, Sa'adatu Auwal, Imam, Madina
Πηγή: Discover Chemistry; 7/21/2026, Vol. 3 Issue 1, p1-28, 28p
Θεματικοί όροι: Amino acids, Enzyme inhibitors, Metal complexes, Transition metals, Helicobacter pylori, Pharmacokinetics, Urease, Molecular docking, Density functional theory, Toxicity testing, Pharmaceutical chemistry
Περίληψη: Helicobacter pylori urease is a nickel-dependent metalloenzyme that plays a critical role in bacterial survival and colonization within the acidic gastric environment, making it an attractive therapeutic target. In this study, the inhibitory potential of selected amino acids (serine, valine, and histidine) and their Cu(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) complexes against H. pylori urease was investigated using density functional theory (DFT), molecular docking, drug-likeness evaluation, ADMET prediction, and toxicity assessment. Histidine was selected because of its metal-binding imidazole side chain, while serine and valine were chosen as representative amino acids possessing distinct coordination and physicochemical properties. Copper, nickel, and zinc were investigated due to their biological relevance and ability to modulate ligand–enzyme interactions through metal complexation. Molecular docking results revealed that metal coordination significantly enhanced binding affinity relative to the free amino acids. Among all investigated compounds, Cu(his)₂ exhibited the most favourable MolDock score (− 116.28 kcal/mol), followed by Zn(his)₂ (− 110.91 kcal/mol) and Ni(his)₂ (− 108.74 kcal/mol), with extensive hydrogen-bonding and hydrophobic interactions observed within the urease active site. Drug-likeness analysis indicated that all compounds satisfied Lipinski's Rule of Five without violations and possessed acceptable bioavailability characteristics. ADMET predictions suggested favourable metabolic profiles with minimal cytochrome P450 inhibition, while toxicity assessment indicated low toxicity for the free amino acids and moderate toxicity for several metal complexes, particularly copper-containing derivatives. Frontier molecular orbital analysis further demonstrated that metal complexation altered electronic properties and generally enhanced molecular reactivity. These computational findings suggest that histidine-based transition-metal complexes, particularly Cu(his)₂, warrant further investigation as potential urease-targeting agents. However, experimental validation through in vitro and in vivo studies is required to confirm their efficacy and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Discover Chemistry is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Label: Title
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  Data: Computational study of amino acid-transition metal complexes as potential Helicobacter pylori urease enzyme inhibitors: DFT, molecular docking and ADMET analysis.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Abdullahi%2C+Muhammad+Mustapha%22">Abdullahi, Muhammad Mustapha</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Abdulsalam%2C+Safiya%22">Abdulsalam, Safiya</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hamza%2C+Sa'adatu+Auwal%22">Hamza, Sa'adatu Auwal</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Imam%2C+Madina%22">Imam, Madina</searchLink>
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  Data: Discover Chemistry; 7/21/2026, Vol. 3 Issue 1, p1-28, 28p
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Amino+acids%22">Amino acids</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Enzyme+inhibitors%22">Enzyme inhibitors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Metal+complexes%22">Metal complexes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Transition+metals%22">Transition metals</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Helicobacter+pylori%22">Helicobacter pylori</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pharmacokinetics%22">Pharmacokinetics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Urease%22">Urease</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Molecular+docking%22">Molecular docking</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Density+functional+theory%22">Density functional theory</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Toxicity+testing%22">Toxicity testing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pharmaceutical+chemistry%22">Pharmaceutical chemistry</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Helicobacter pylori urease is a nickel-dependent metalloenzyme that plays a critical role in bacterial survival and colonization within the acidic gastric environment, making it an attractive therapeutic target. In this study, the inhibitory potential of selected amino acids (serine, valine, and histidine) and their Cu(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) complexes against H. pylori urease was investigated using density functional theory (DFT), molecular docking, drug-likeness evaluation, ADMET prediction, and toxicity assessment. Histidine was selected because of its metal-binding imidazole side chain, while serine and valine were chosen as representative amino acids possessing distinct coordination and physicochemical properties. Copper, nickel, and zinc were investigated due to their biological relevance and ability to modulate ligand–enzyme interactions through metal complexation. Molecular docking results revealed that metal coordination significantly enhanced binding affinity relative to the free amino acids. Among all investigated compounds, Cu(his)₂ exhibited the most favourable MolDock score (− 116.28 kcal/mol), followed by Zn(his)₂ (− 110.91 kcal/mol) and Ni(his)₂ (− 108.74 kcal/mol), with extensive hydrogen-bonding and hydrophobic interactions observed within the urease active site. Drug-likeness analysis indicated that all compounds satisfied Lipinski's Rule of Five without violations and possessed acceptable bioavailability characteristics. ADMET predictions suggested favourable metabolic profiles with minimal cytochrome P450 inhibition, while toxicity assessment indicated low toxicity for the free amino acids and moderate toxicity for several metal complexes, particularly copper-containing derivatives. Frontier molecular orbital analysis further demonstrated that metal complexation altered electronic properties and generally enhanced molecular reactivity. These computational findings suggest that histidine-based transition-metal complexes, particularly Cu(his)₂, warrant further investigation as potential urease-targeting agents. However, experimental validation through in vitro and in vivo studies is required to confirm their efficacy and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: Abstract
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Discover Chemistry is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1007/s44371-026-00862-8
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 28
        StartPage: 1
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Amino acids
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Enzyme inhibitors
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Metal complexes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Transition metals
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Helicobacter pylori
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pharmacokinetics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Urease
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Molecular docking
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Density functional theory
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Toxicity testing
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      – SubjectFull: Pharmaceutical chemistry
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Computational study of amino acid-transition metal complexes as potential Helicobacter pylori urease enzyme inhibitors: DFT, molecular docking and ADMET analysis.
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            – D: 21
              M: 07
              Text: 7/21/2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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