Quantum Chemical and Molecular Docking Studies of Imidazole and Its Derivatives as the Active Antifungal Components against C. Albicans

Heterocyclic compounds based on Imidazole are very studied today because they are promising for pharmaceuticals applications and synthetic chemistry. Thus, the synthesis, characterization, and optical properties of four different Schiff bases ligands based on imidazole named L1-L4 has been reported by many authors. These compounds have been very studied especially their antifungal properties on an important fungal specie pathogenic for humans (Candida albicans). In this study, firstly the DFT quantum chemical calculations were performed on 4 structures based on Imidazole (L1, L2, L3 and L4) to determine their structural and electronic properties and to understand the correlation that exists between structure and their properties. In the second part, the molecular docking was carried out on the most and less active compounds (L1 and L4) with their targeted proteins to explain the origin of these in silico antioxidant properties and to examine the probable binding mode of the studied compounds with the corresponding amino acid residues of protein. The theoretical results were compared with experimental data.