Lysozyme is a well-characterized
protein in terms of its structure,
dynamics, and functions. It has thus emerged as a potential target
to understand protein–drug interactions. The aim of our study
is to gain a biophysical outlook on the interaction of lysozyme (Lyz),
a well-known model protein, with Noscapine, a potent tubulin-binding
anticancer drug. Noscapine (Nos) is effective against a wide range
of cancer and shows low toxicity and few side effects. We report the
underlying mechanism of complex formation between Nos and Lyz using
spectroscopic and advanced computational avenues. The spectroscopic
techniques, that is, absorption and steady-state and time-resolved
fluorescence, proved that Lyz–Nos forms a complex, and the
quenching mechanism was of the static type. The binding constant was
in the order of 103 indicative of moderate binding, while
the stoichiometry of the protein–drug complex was 1:1 at 298
K. The secondary structural analysis using CD and UV thermal denaturation
further confirmed the conformational changes in the protein upon binding
with Nos. Molecular dynamics simulation studies confirmed the stable
binding with minimum deviations in RMSD. The above conclusions are
significant to the development of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic
properties of Nos, and its successful interaction with a versatile
protein like Lyz will help in overcoming its previous limitations.