Estudo computacional de arilpiperidina e arilpiperazina como inibidores de tirosinase: aplicações cosméticas e terapêuticas

Abstract

Tyrosinases (TYR) catalyze the oxidation of phenols and catechols, playing a crucial role in melanogenesis, which regulates melanin production and provides protection against UV radiation. However, pigmentation-related disorders drive the search for effective TYR inhibitors. Compounds such as hydroquinone, arbutin, and kojic acid have limitations, highlighting the need for new inhibitors. In this study, arylpiperidine- and arylpiperazine-based compounds demonstrated potent inhibitory activity against TYR. Computational analysis included molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and binding free energy calculations using the Linear Interaction Energy (LIE) method, revealing a strong correlation with experimental affinity data. To enhance the understanding of structure-activity relationships (SAR), Free Energy Perturbation (FEP) transformations were performed for selected ligand pairs. Additionally, Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations were applied to inhibitors L04 and L19, enabling the determination of electronic descriptors and frontier molecular orbitals. The inhibitors interact with TYR mainly through electrostatic interactions with the copper ion and van der Waals forces with critical residues such as Phe197, Pro201, Val218, Asn205, and Arg209. These findings are promising for both cosmetic and therapeutic applications, enabling the development of skin-lightening agents to treat melasma and sunspots, as well as potential treatments for hyperpigmentation-related diseases and melanomas. The development of more selective inhibitors with lower toxicity may expand the clinical and cosmetic use of these compounds, offering safer and more effective alternatives for melanin production modulation.