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Molecular modelling and crystallographic investigation of novel synthetic cathinone 2-methyl-4'-(methylthio)-2-morpholinopropiophenone (MMMP)

Dissertation (MSc (Chemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2024.

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Other Authors: Slabbert, Cara
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2024
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author2 Slabbert, Cara
author_browse Slabbert, Cara
author_facet Slabbert, Cara
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MSc (Chemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2024.
format Thesis
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:37:27.661Z
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provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2024
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publisherStr University of Pretoria
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spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/96820 Molecular modelling and crystallographic investigation of novel synthetic cathinone 2-methyl-4'-(methylthio)-2-morpholinopropiophenone (MMMP) Slabbert, Cara u16152582@tuks.co.za Govender, Krishna Van Heerden, Lanzo Jacques 2-methyl-4’-(methylthio)-2-morpholinopropiophenone MMMP Synthetic cathinones Monoamine receptors Monoamine transporters Molecular docking Molecular modelling Molecular Dynamics UCTD Natural and agricultural sciences theses SDG-12 SDG-12: Responsible consumption and production Dissertation (MSc (Chemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2024. 2-Methyl-4'-(methylthio)-2-morpholinopropiophenone (MMMP) is a highly modified synthetic cathinone derived from natural occurring cathinone, the main psychoactive alkaloid present in Catha edulis Forsk. or khat. Synthetic cathinones (SCs) belong to the drug class of new psychoactive substances (NPS) which consists of analogues of commonly known abused drugs designed to mimic the psychoactive properties of illicit drugs to circumvent current drug legislations. From a structural perspective, cathinone is a β-keto analogue of amphetamine and SCs are often referred to as “bk-amphetamines”. SCs are capable of evoking psychoactive effects similar to that of amphetamines and cocaine increasing their popularity amongst users as “legal highs”. MMMP itself is commercially available and readily used in the polymer and printing industry in the fixing of thin films, plastics and inks as a Type 1 fragmenting photoinitiator. It was hypothesised that MMMP might have psychoactive properties due to its cathinone origin and isolation in confiscated drug samples. This hypothesis was investigated through molecular modelling techniques to determine if MMMP was capable of interacting with 25 protein targets consisting of 24 monoamine receptors and a transporter which act as common targets for psychoactive substances. From the initial molecular docking results two protein targets, serotonin-1A (SER1A) and serotonin transporter (SERT), were identified as the most likely to form a complex with MMMP. Further analysis through Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations to evaluate the stability and movement of these complexes revealed that MMMP has a higher probability of interacting and forming a strong complex with the SERT binding pocket, but a weaker complex is formed with SER1A. The crystal structure of MMMP was successfully elucidated through single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD). Analysis of the crystal structure revealed that MMMP crystallises in the non-centrosymmetric space group, Pca21. The unit cell consist of four crystallographically independent conformers with each conformer interacting with itself, with conformers within the same unit cell as well as with conformers in adjacent unit cells through a series of intra- and intermolecular interactions. Three symmetry elements, two glide planes and a screw axis, were also identified. Chemistry MSc (Chemistry) Unrestricted Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences SDG-12: Responsible consumption and production 2024-07-05T07:07:45Z 2024-07-05T07:07:45Z 2024-09 2024-03-28 Dissertation * S2024 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/96820 en © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle 2-methyl-4’-(methylthio)-2-morpholinopropiophenone
MMMP
Synthetic cathinones
Monoamine receptors
Monoamine transporters
Molecular docking
Molecular modelling
Molecular Dynamics
UCTD
Natural and agricultural sciences theses SDG-12
SDG-12: Responsible consumption and production
Molecular modelling and crystallographic investigation of novel synthetic cathinone 2-methyl-4'-(methylthio)-2-morpholinopropiophenone (MMMP)
title Molecular modelling and crystallographic investigation of novel synthetic cathinone 2-methyl-4'-(methylthio)-2-morpholinopropiophenone (MMMP)
title_full Molecular modelling and crystallographic investigation of novel synthetic cathinone 2-methyl-4'-(methylthio)-2-morpholinopropiophenone (MMMP)
title_fullStr Molecular modelling and crystallographic investigation of novel synthetic cathinone 2-methyl-4'-(methylthio)-2-morpholinopropiophenone (MMMP)
title_full_unstemmed Molecular modelling and crystallographic investigation of novel synthetic cathinone 2-methyl-4'-(methylthio)-2-morpholinopropiophenone (MMMP)
title_short Molecular modelling and crystallographic investigation of novel synthetic cathinone 2-methyl-4'-(methylthio)-2-morpholinopropiophenone (MMMP)
title_sort molecular modelling and crystallographic investigation of novel synthetic cathinone 2 methyl 4 methylthio 2 morpholinopropiophenone mmmp
topic 2-methyl-4’-(methylthio)-2-morpholinopropiophenone
MMMP
Synthetic cathinones
Monoamine receptors
Monoamine transporters
Molecular docking
Molecular modelling
Molecular Dynamics
UCTD
Natural and agricultural sciences theses SDG-12
SDG-12: Responsible consumption and production
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/96820