Computational and Experimental Insights into the Antibacterial and Antimicrobial Potential of Newly Synthesized Anthraquinone Derivatives

Two new anthraquinone derivatives: 1-(4-ethylpiperazin-1-yl)-5-chloroanthracene-9,10-dione and 1-(4-methylpiperidine-1-yl)-5-chloroanhtrecene-9,10-dione were synthesized in the laboratory and their structures were confirmed by Fourier transform-infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. The optimal molecular geometry was determined using a 6-311+G(d,p) basis set and the Density Functional Theory, B3LYP approach. The presence of charge transfer within the molecule was demonstrated by the energy gap between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO). These new anthraquinone derivatives exhibited antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The highest antimicrobial effect was observed against Gram-positive bacteria, especially Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. The antibacterial properties of these new anthraquinone derivatives were also demonstrated by molecular docking simulations using Escherichia coli DNA gyrase B (PDB ID: 6F86). Moreover, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations conducted over a 100 ns period verified that the 1-(4-ethylpiperazin-1-yl)-5-chloroanthracene-9,10-dione-6F86 and 1-(4-methylpiperidine-1-yl)-5-chloroanhtrecene-9,10-dione-6F86 complexes were stable. According to a combination of experimental, computational, and biological research, compounds are promising antibacterial agents that might be developed further.