Binding studies of lophirone B with bovine serum albumin (BSA): Combination of spectroscopic and molecular docking techniques

Abstract The interaction between the transport protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) and the natural product lophirone B, was investigated by spectroscopic techniques combined with a computational method (molecular docking). From the K SV and k q values it was concluded that lophirone B quenches the fluorescence of BSA by dynamic and static mechanisms. The K a values, of the order of 10 4  M −1 , and the number of binding sites ( n  ≈ 1), indicate that the binding is moderate and there is just one main binding site in BSA for lophirone B. The negative ΔG° values are in accordance with the spontaneity of the process and the positive ΔH° and ΔS° values indicate that the binding is entropically driven; the main binding forces for the association BSA:lophirone B are probably lipophilic interactions. Circular dichroism (CD) studies show there is not a significant perturbation on the secondary structure of the albumin upon the binding process. In order to better understand the spectroscopic results, a computational method was applied: molecular docking suggests Trp-213 site, as the main binding site for the ligand. Lophirone B seems to be exposed to the aqueous media as well as accommodated inside the protein cavity, resulting in a moderate affinity for the albumin. The Arg-198, His-287, Lys-294 and Lys-439 residues are interacting via hydrogen bonding with lophirone B, whereas the interaction with Trp-213 residue occurs through a lipophilic interaction.