Pharmacophore Modelling and Virtual Screening Studies for the Discovery of Potential Natural Products Based PDE1B Inhibitor Lead Compounds.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to apply pharmacophore based virtual screening to a natural product database to identify potential PDE1B inhibitor lead compounds for neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Background: Neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders are a major health burden globally. The existing therapies do not provide optimal relief and are associated with substantial adverse effects. This has resulted in a huge unmet medical need for newer and more effective therapies for these disorders. Phosphodiesterase (PDEs) enzymes have been identified as potential targets of drugs for neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders, and one of the subtypes, i.e., PDE1B, accounts for more than 90 % of total brain PDE activity associated with learning and memory process, making it an interesting drug target for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

Objectives: The present study has been conducted to identify potential PDE1B inhibitor lead compounds from the natural product database.

Methods: Ligand-based pharmacophore models were generated and validated; they were then employed for virtual screening of Universal Natural Products Database (UNPD) followed by docking with PDE1B to identify the best hit compound.

Results: Virtual screening led to the identification of 85 compounds which were then docked into the active site of PDE1B. Out of the 85 compounds, six showed a higher affinity for PDE1B than the standard PDE1B inhibitors. The top scoring compound was identified as Cedreprenone.

Conclusion: Virtual screening of UNPD using Ligand based pharmacophore led to the identification of Cedreprenone, a potential new natural PDE1B inhibitor lead compound.