Synthesis, Crystal Structure, Cytotoxic, Antileishmanial and Docking Evaluation of 3-(4-Chloro-3-nitrophenyl)-1-phenylprop-2-en-1-one

Chalcone derivatives are of immense importance owing to their superior pharmacological profile. Minor changes in their structures create high degree of diversity that results in a broader spectrum of biological activities. The present research paper presents the synthesis of 3-(4-chloro-3-nitrophenyl)-1-phenylprop-2-en-1-one chalcone (I), single crystal XRD analysis and the evaluation of its possible biological activities like cytotoxic (LD50 = 5.40 mu g/mL) and antileishmanial (LD50 = 0.81 mu g/mL) activities. The results indicate the tested chalcone (I) shows superior inhibition values against leishmanial promastigotes. Further, the possible interaction sites of chalcone (I) with TryR enzyme involved in the redox metabolism of the leishmanial parasite were determined using docking simulation technique. Docking computations demonstrate that the compound establishes prominent binding interactions with the key residues of TryR and possesses the potential to effectively inhibit the catalytic activities of enzyme. Thus the results suggest that the chalcone (I) can serve as a potential scaffold for the treatment of leishmaniasis and deserve further development.