Chlorogenic Acid and Cinnamaldehyde in Breast Cancer Cells: Predictive Examination of Pharmacokinetics and Binding Thermodynamics with the Key Mediators of PI3K/Akt Signaling.

In the pursuit of identifying novel therapeutic agents against breast cancer, a major priority is finding agents that effectively and safely inhibit the signaling pathways sustaining cancer cells. To better focus research efforts in validating such candidates, this in silico study assessed the pharmacokinetic profiles, thermodynamics, and binding affinity of chlorogenic acid and cinnamaldehyde with the upstream mediators of the Akt pathway implicated in breast cancer cells. Various software and online tools were used to conduct molecular docking of the small molecules with the proteins PI3K, Akt, and PDK1, and to examine their absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, and toxicity (ADMET) profile. The results show strong binding energy (all within the range of those of FDA-approved drugs) and thermostability between the compounds and the proteins. The phytochemicals were predicted to have moderate oral bioavailability and tissue distribution, and were identified as substrates of drug metabolizing enzymes, but not deactivated. Although these predictive data warrant confirmation in a biological system, they suggest that the compounds have good pharmacokinetics and are strong inhibitors of the Akt pathway, with great potential to shut down breast cancer cell invasion and migration. These data also inform more efficient experimental designs for our planned in vivo studies.