Pharmacophore modeling, virtual screening, molecular docking studies and density functional theory approaches to identify novel ketohexokinase (KHK) inhibitors

Fructose catabolism starts with phosphorylation of d-fructose to fructose 1-phosphate, which is performed by ketohexokinase (KHK). Fructose metabolism may be the key to understand the long-term consumption of fructose in human's obesity, diabetes and metabolic states in western populations. The inhibition of KHK has medicinally potential roles in fructose metabolism and the metabolic syndrome. To identify the essential chemical features for KHK...