Comparative study of two cephalosporin antibiotics binding to calf thymus DNA by multispectroscopy,electrochemistry, and molecular docking

The over‐use of antibiotics has caused a number of problems such as contamination of antibiotic residues and virus resistance, and therefore has attracted global attention. In this study, spectroscopic techniques and molecular docking were employed to predict conformational changes and binding interaction between two cephalosporins (cefaclor and cefixime) and calf thymus DNA (ctDNA). Fluorescence and UV–vis spectra suggested that static quenching was predominant and cephalosporin bound to the groove region of ctDNA. Binding parameters calculated by the Stern–Volmer and Scatchard equations showed that cephalosporin bound to ctDNA with a binding affinity in the order of 10³ L mol^?1. Thermodynamic parameters further indicated that the reaction was a spontaneous process driven by enthalpy and entropy, and that the main binding force was an electrostatic force. The effects of iodide, denaturant, thermal denaturation and pH on a cephalosporin–Hoechst–DNA complex were also studied, and the results confirmed that cephalosporin bound to the groove area of DNA. Finally, these results were further confirmed by molecular docking and electrochemical studies.     

β-Lactam drug allergens: Fine structural recognition patterns of cephalosporin-reactive IgE antibodies

Lack of experimental findings on the spectrum of cephalosporin allergenic determinants has hindered diagnosis of adverse reactions to these drugs and retarded understanding of allergenic cross-reactions between cephalosporins and between cephalosporins and penicillins. Subjects allergic to the widely used cephalosporin antibiotic cefaclor have serum immuno globulin (Ig) E antibodies that react with the drug. Quantitative hapten inhibition studies employing sera from subjects allergic to cefaclor revealed fine structual recognition differences between the combining site specificities of cefaclor-reactive IgE antibodies in the sera of different subjects. Unlike penicillins, where discrete side chain or thiazolidine ring determinants alone may be recognized, IgE binding determinants on cefaclor encompassed the entire molecule. Fine structural recognition specificity differences at positions R₁ (side-chain) and R₂ (substituent attached to dihydrothiazine ring) were detected between IgE antibodies in different sera. Some antibodies showed clear preferential recognition of the aminobenzyl group at position R₁ and Cl at R₂ while with others, a greater degree of recognition tolerance was seen at R₁ where, for example, the aminohydroxybenzyl or aminodihydrobenzyl groups were recognized, and at R₂ where a methyl or even an ester group was tolerated. As with the penicillins, cephalosporins as allergens cannot simply be considered as a group of compounds with a common allergenic determinant structure. IgE antibodies that bind to cefaclor show great heterogeneity indicated by clear, fine structural differences in recognition of the R₁ and R₂ groups on the drug.     

Enhanced enzymatic synthesis of a semi-synthetic cephalosprin,cefaclor, with in situ product removal

In the enzymatic synthesis of cefaclor, 3-chloro-7-d-(2-phenylglycinamide)-3-cephem-4-carboxylic acid, from phenylglycine methyl ester and 7-aminodesacetoxymethyl-3-chlorocephalosporanic acid, the in situ product could influence both the overall conversion and hydrolysis of the ester. Optimization of the parameters, such as pH 6.2, 5 °C and substrate molar ratio of 2:1, made in situ product removal improve the overall conversion from 64% to 85% (mol/mol).