An Application of Molecular Orbital Theory for Screening Research of Antifungal Drugs

Abstract

The relationship between antifungal activity and the energy of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of several phenolic compounds was examined using MINDO/3 method. Among the phenols examined, all the compounds which are highly active in inhibiting the growth of fungi possess a low-lying LUMO as compared with the compounds poor in antifungal activity. From these results, it is conceivable that the LUMO energy of a molecule should be one of the useful indices for screening antifungal drugs.