Molecular Topology for the Discovery of New Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Drugs

In this study, molecular topology was used to develop several discriminant equations capable of classifying compounds according to their antibacterial activity. Topological indices were used as structural descriptors and their relation to antibacterial activity was determined by applying linear discriminant analysis (LDA) on a group of quinolones and quinolone-like compounds. Four equations were constructed, named DF1, DF2, DF3, and DF4, all with good statistical parameters such as Fisher–Snedecor’s F (over 25 in all cases), Wilk’s lambda (below 0.36 in all cases) and percentage of correct classification (over 80% in all cases), which allows a reliable extrapolation prediction of antibacterial activity in any organic compound. From the four discriminant functions, it can be extracted that the presence of sp³ carbons, ramifications, and secondary amine groups in a molecule enhance antibacterial activity, whereas the presence of 5-member rings, sp² carbons, and sp² oxygens hinder it. The results obtained clearly reveal the high efficiency of combining molecular topology with LDA for the prediction of antibacterial activity.