Artificial intelligence in antidiabetic drug discovery: The advances in QSAR and the prediction of α-glucosidase inhibitors

Artificial Intelligence is transforming drug discovery, particularly in the hit identification phase of therapeutic compounds. One tool that has been instrumental in this transformation is Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) analysis. This computer-aided drug design tool uses machine learning to predict the biological activity of new compounds based on the numerical representation of chemical structures against various biological targets. With diabetes mellitus becoming a significant health challenge in recent times, there is intense research interest in modulating antidiabetic drug targets. α-Glucosidase is an antidiabetic target that has gained attention due to its ability to suppress postprandial hyperglycaemia, a key contributor to diabetic complications. This review explored a detailed approach to developing QSAR models, focusing on strategies for generating input variables (molecular descriptors) and computational approaches ranging from classical machine learning algorithms to modern deep learning algorithms. We also highlighted studies that have used these approaches to develop predictive models for α-glucosidase inhibitors to modulate this critical antidiabetic drug target.