Inhibitory effects of selected isoquinoline alkaloids against main protease (M(pro)) of SARS-CoV-2, in silico study

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a global threat. Despite the production of various vaccines and different treatments, finding natural compounds to control COVID-19 is still a challenging task. Isoquinoline alkaloids are naturally occurring compounds known to have some potential antiviral activity. In this study, ten abundant isoquinoline alkaloids with antiviral activity were selected to analyze the preventive effect on COVID-19. A scrutinized evaluation based on Lipinski’s rule showed that one out of ten compounds was toxic. Based on molecular docking analysis using Autodock software one of the best molecules with maximum negative binding energy was selected for further analysis. The Gromacs simulation analysis revealed that Coptisine has more action against active site M(pro) of COVID-19. Overall, to make a rational design of various preventive analogues that inhibit the COVID-19, associated in vitro and in vivo analyses are needed to confirm this claim.