Evaluation of solvent effect on the effective interactions of Isotretinoin and Tretinoin: Isomeric forms of vitamin A

Vitamin A and its derivatives are effective in many medical dermatology treatments. Isotretinoin and Tretinoin, as medication and therapeutic agents, are widely applied in dermatology to treat a variety of skin cancers and disorders. In this regards, solvent as a complex environment can surround solute molecules and change their function. For this reason, the function of medication molecules as solute highly depends on their biochemical structure and the surrounding environment. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effective interactions between the solvent molecules with Isotretinoin and Tretinoin medications. The evaluation of the spectral characteristics based on Linear Solvation Energy Relationship (LSER) models of Kamlet-Abboud-Taft and Catalán, as well as estimating the dipole moments based on the solvatochromic method were carried out. The findings revealed that specific interactions (solvent acidity and solvent basicity), exert a greater influence than non-specific interactions (polarity/polarizability). According to the dipole moments variations, the Intra-molecular Charge Transfer (ICT) process is possible. Solvent-accessible surfaces provided a better assessment of active group sites. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to gain a profound understanding of the experimental results. The insights from this research can be valuable for pharmacists and chemists working on the development of novel medications or practical applications.