In –silico molecular docking analysis of prodigiosin and cycloprodigiosin as COX-2 inhibitors

Prodigiosin and cycloprodigiosin are tripyrrole red pigmented compounds with medical importance for their anticancer property. In the present investigation, molecular docking studies were performed for both prodigiosin and cycloprodigiosins to evaluate the in- silico anti-inflammatory activity against Cycloxigenase-2 (COX-2) protein as model compound and the data compared with rofecoxib and celcoxid. Cycloprodigiosin showed higher initial potential, initial RMS gradient and potential energy values compared to prodigiosin. Analysis of COX-2 protein and ligand binding revealed that cyclprodigiosin interacted with COX-2 protein amino acid residues of Tyr(324), Phe(487) and Arg(89) while prodigiosin interaction was observed with two amino acids i.e. Leu(321) and Tyr(324). The computational ligand binding interaction suggested > 45% higher fitness score value for prodigiosin to that of cycloprodigiosin with COX-2 protein while the standard compounds rofecoxib and celecoxid revealed fitness score of 44 and 62, respectively. The prodigiosin ligand revealed the best fitness score compared with the standard drug rofecoxib suggesting the prodigiosin could be effective as the potential inhibitor compound against COX-2 protein and can be evaluated as anti-inflammatory drug molecule using clinical trials.