Khushbu Wadhwa

Khushbu Wadhwa


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

4Years (2023-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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9 June 2023 in Molecules
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
KWKhushbu Wadhwa
Khushbu Wadhwa
HKHardeep Kaur
Hardeep Kaur
NKNEHA KAPOOR
NEHA KAPOOR
Simone BrogiSimone Brogi
Simone Brogi
Due to the limited availability of antifungal drugs, their relevant side effects and considering the insurgence of drug-resistant strains, novel antifungal agents are urgently needed. To identify such agents, we have developed an integrated computational and biological screening platform. We have considered a promising drug target in antifungal drug discovery (exo-1,3-β-glucanase) and a phytochemical library composed of bioactive natural products was used. These products were computationally screened against the selected target using molecular docking and molecular dynamics techniques along with the evaluation of drug-like profile. We selected sesamin as the most promising phytochemical endowed with a potential antifungal profile and satisfactory drug-like properties. Sesamin was submitted to a preliminary biological evaluation to test its capability to inhibit the growth of several Candida species by calculating the MIC/MFC and conducting synergistic experiments with the marketed drug fluconazole. Following the screening protocol, we identified sesamin as a potential exo-1,3-β-glucanase inhibitor, with relevant potency in inhibiting the growth of Candida species in a dose-dependent manner (MIC and MFC of 16 and 32 µg/mL, respectively). Furthermore, the combination of sesamin with fluconazole highlighted relevant synergistic effects. The described screening protocol revealed the natural product sesamin as a potential novel antifungal agent, showing an interesting predicted pharmacological profile, paving the way to the development of innovative therapeutics against fungal infections. Notably, our screening protocol can be helpful in antifungal drug discovery.


22 October 2025 in Advances in Traditional Medicine
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
PDF file
KWKhushbu Wadhwa
Khushbu Wadhwa
HKHardeep Kaur
Hardeep Kaur
NYNeelam Yadav
Neelam Yadav
JPJaya Pandey
Jaya Pandey
MTMohd Tariq
Mohd Tariq
Tabarak MalikTabarak Malik
Tabarak Malik