Structural effects on the binding of amine drugs with the diphenylmethyl functionality to cyclodextrins. II. A molecular modeling study.

Molecular modeling has been used to study the complexation between alpha, beta, or gamma-cyclodextrin (CD) and a group of amine compounds having the diphenylmethyl functionality. The computer program SYBYL 5.3 and the Tripos force field (version 5.2) were used for all the calculations. Three-dimensional structures of 13 amine compounds were built individually from their atoms, and CDs were built based on the X-ray crystallographic coordinates. The diphenylmethyl derivative-CD complexes were constructed and optimized. Based on the calculated binding energies accompanying the inclusion process, the preferred method of approach of the compounds to the cavities of the CD molecules, and the structural effects on the binding between amine compounds and three CDs were explored. The calculated binding energies exhibited a good correlation with the stability constants obtained from solution calorimetric titrations. The present study shows that for similar ligand molecules, the molecular modeling technique should enable us to visualize the structure of the inclusion complexes and will also assist us in determining the ability of a potential drug molecule to form a stable complex with CDs.