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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Mechanism of Action of Thymol on Cell Membranes Investigated through Lipid Langmuir Monolayers at the Air-Water Interface and Molecular Simulation

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Author(s):
Ferreira, Joao Victor N. [1] ; Capello, Tabata M. [1] ; Siqueira, Leonardo J. A. [1] ; Lago, Joao Henrique G. [1] ; Caseli, Luciano [1]
Total Authors: 5
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Inst Environm Chem & Pharmaceut Sci, Diadema, SP - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 1
Document type: Journal article
Source: Langmuir; v. 32, n. 13, p. 3234-3241, APR 5 2016.
Web of Science Citations: 19
Abstract

A major challenge in the design of biocidal drugs is to identify compounds with potential action on microorganisms and to understand at the molecular level their mechanism of action. In this study, thymol, a monoterpenoid found in the oil of leaves of Lippia sidoides with possible action in biological surfaces, was incorporated in lipid monolayers at the air-water interface that represented cell membrane models. The interaction of thymol with dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) at the air-water interface was investigated by means of surface pressure-area isotherms, Brewster angle microscopy (BAM), polarization-modulation reflection-absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS), and molecular dynamics simulation. Thymol expands DPPC monolayers, decreases their surface elasticity, and changes the morphology of the lipid monolayer, which evidence the incorporation of this compound in the lipid Langmuir film. Such incorporation could be corroborated by PM-IRRAS since some specific bands for DPPC were changed upon thymol incorporation. Furthermore, potential of mean force obtained by molecular dynamics simulations indicates that the most stable position of the drug along the lipid film is near the hydrophobic regions of DPPC. These results may be useful to understand the interaction between thymol and cell membranes during biochemical phenomena, which may be associated with its pharmaceutical properties at the molecular level. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 15/23446-0 - Smart surfaces: nanostructured and bioinspired systems for the investigation of molecular interactions in membrane models and for the production of devices for biosensors and environmental analysis
Grantee:Luciano Caseli
Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
FAPESP's process: 13/10213-1 - Interaction of bioactive materials in ultrathin films organized in models for biointerfaces models for investigation of molecular recognition processes and associated molecular mechanisms
Grantee:Luciano Caseli
Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants