Netzeva, T.I.; Schultz, T.W.; Aptula, A.O.; Cronin, M.T.D. Partial Least Squares Modelling of the Acute Toxicity of Aliphatic Compounds to Tetrahymena pyriformis. SAR QSAR Environ. Res. 2003, 14, 4, 265–283.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate a multivariate statistical model, utilising Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis, for the prediction of the acute toxicity of aliphatic chemicals to the ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis. A model was developed that was capable of making a prediction regardless the mechanism of toxic action. The toxicity of 476 compounds, possessing different mechanisms of toxic action was considered. A set of 74 descriptors, including the octanol–water partition coefficient, molecular-orbital descriptors, geometrical, topological and connectivity indices, was generated. A three-component, eight-descriptor PLS model was developed. It was validated by a Y-permutation test and by simulation of external prediction for complementary subsets. A comparison with existing class or mechanism-based models, derived on the same data set, was made.