Synthesis and antimalarial activity of new nanocopolymer β-lactams and molecular docking study of their monomers

Article abstract of DOI:10.1007/s00044-015-1477-7

This report describes the preparation of some new β-lactam nanocopolymers. These nanoparticles are synthesized in water by emulsion polymerization of an acrylate β-lactam pre-dissolved in a mixture of co-monomers in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate as a surfactant and potassium persulfate as a radical initiator. Dynamic light scattering analysis and electron microscopy images of these emulsions show that the nanoparticles are approximately 30-70 nm in diameter. These compounds have been evaluated for their antimalarial activities against chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium faliparum K1 strain demonstrating IC₅₀ varying from 14 to 50 μM. The interactions between these β-lactam nanocopolymers and the P. falciparum single-stranded DNA-binding proteins have been studied by molecular docking calculations.