Conformation of Antifungal Agent Fluconazole

Conformational free energy calculations using an empirical potential function and a hydration shell model (program CONBIO) were carried out on antifungal agent fluconazole in the unhydrated and hydrated states. The initial geometry of fluconazole was obtained from two minimized fragments of it using a molecular mechanics MMPMI and followed by minimizing with a semiempirical AM1 method. In both states, the feasible conformations were obtained from the calculations of conformational energy, conformational entropy, and hydration free energy by varying all the torsion angles of the molecule. The intramolecular hydrogen bonds of isopropyl hydroxyl hydrogen and triazole nitrogens and the structural flexibility are of significant importance in stabilizing the conformations of fluconazole in both states. Hydration is proved to be one of the essential factors in stabilizing the overall conformation in aqueous solution. Two F atoms of phenyl ring are not identified as an essential key in determining the stable conformations and may be responsible for the interaction with the receptor of fluconazole.