Multiscale Modeling
Unravels the Influence of Biomembranes
on the Photochemical Properties of Embedded Anti-Oxidative Polyphenolic
and Phenanthroline Chelating Dyes
posted on 2022-12-23, 18:05authored byNikolas P. Benetis, Markéta Paloncýová, Stefan Knippenberg
The
embedding of caffeate methyl ester, the flavonoids luteolin
and quercetin, and the o-phenanthroline and neocuproine
in a liquid disordered lipid bilayer has been studied through extensive
atomistic calculations. The location and the orientation of these
bio-active antioxidants are explained and analyzed. While the two
phenanthrolines strongly associate with the lipid tail region, the
other three compounds are rather found among the head groups. The
simulations showcase conformational changes of the flavonoids. Through
the use of a hybrid quantum mechanics–molecular mechanics scheme
and supported by a profound benchmarking of the electronic excited-state
method for these compounds, the influence of the anisotropic environment
on the compounds’ optical properties is analyzed. Influences
of surrounding water molecules and of the polar parts of the lipids
on the transition dipole moments and excited-state dipole moments
are weighted with respect to a change in conformation. The current
study highlights the importance of the mapping of molecular interactions
in model membranes and pinpoints properties, which can be biomedically
used to discriminate and detect different lipid environments.