Identification, ADMET evaluation and molecular docking analysis of Phytosterols from Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.)Pers) seed extract against breast cancer

Unveiling the biological activities of Heliotropium indicum L. plant extracts: anti-inflammatory activities, GC-MS analysis, and in-silico molecular docking

Heliotropium indicum is well-known for its diverse medicinal properties, traditionally utilized to treat ailments such as diabetes, obesity, bacterial infections, inflammation, and diarrhea. This study aims to explore the anti-inflammatory effects of the extract using in vitro methods and to assess its drug-likeness potential using docking, PASS and ADME. Fractionations of crude methanol extract (CME) were undertaken in n-hexane (NHF), chloroform (CHF), and ethyl acetate (EAF). GC-MS analysis was conducted using Agilent technologies. All fractions were evaluated for radical scavenging and anti-inflammatory properties in vitro. Molecular docking was performed with PyRx and Biovia Discovery Studio, followed by drug-likeness analysis using Swiss ADME. The ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) showed the highest DPPH scavenging activity (IC50: 4.3 μg/ml), followed by chloroform (CHF, IC50: 12.95 μg/ml) and n-hexane fractions (NHF, IC50: 17.6 μg/ml). Catechin had an IC50 of 3.5 μg/ml. EAF and CHF also exhibited the highest hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (51.69 μg/ml). EAF demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory activity, inhibiting heat-induced hemolysis (71.90%), hypotonicity-induced hemolysis (67.18%), and AAPH-induced hemolysis (72.52%) at 400 μg/ml. Six major phytoconstituents in EAF, identified by GC-MS, were docked with COX-2. ADME and drug-likeness evaluations using the Lipinski's "rule of five" confirmed all compounds had acceptable pharmacokinetic properties to fulfill the pharmaceutical formulations requirement. The study depicts the first and novel report of GC-MS compounds on in silico analysis. Both EAF and CHF exhibit significant anti-inflammatory activity, indicating their potential as a source for developing new therapeutic agents for treating inflammation.

Floral Elegance Meets Medicinal Marvels: Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacology of the Genus Lagerstroemia L

The genus Lagerstroemia L. (Lythraceae), known for its exquisite flowers and prolonged flowering period, is commonly employed in traditional medicinal systems across Asian countries, where it has always been consumed as tea or employed to address ailments such as diabetes, urinary disorders, coughs, fevers, inflammation, pain, and anesthesia. Its diverse uses may be attributed to its rich active ingredients. Currently, at least 364 biological compounds have been identified from Lagerstroemia extracts, encompassing various types such as terpenes, flavonoids, phenolic acids, alkaloids, and phenylpropanoids. Extensive in vitro and in vivo experiments have examined the pharmacological activities of different extracts, revealing their potential in various domains, including but not limited to antidiabetic, anti-obesity, antitumor, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and hepatoprotective effects. Additionally, 20 core components have been proven to be associated with antidiabetic and hypoglycemic effects of Lagerstroemia. Overall, Lagerstroemia exhibit substantial medicinal potential, and the alignment between its traditional applications and contemporary pharmacological findings present promising opportunities for further investigation, particularly in food and health products, drug development, herbal teas, and cosmetics. However, evidence-based pharmacological research has largely been confined to in vitro screening and animal model, lacking clinical trials and bioactive compound isolations. Consequently, future endeavors should adopt a more holistic approach.

In-silico screening of bioactive compounds of Moringa oleifera as potential inhibitors targeting HIF-1α/VEGF/GLUT-1 pathway against Breast Cancer

OBJECTIVES

Breast cancer is among the most heterogeneous and aggressive diseases and a foremost cause of death in women globally. Hypoxic activation of HIF-1α in breast cancers triggers the transcription of a battery of genes encoding proteins that facilitate tumor growth and metastasis and is correlated with a poor prognosis. Based on the reported cytotoxic and anti-cancer properties of Moringa oleifera (Mo), this study explores the inhibitory effect of bioactive compounds from M. oleifera and breast cancer target proteins HIF-1α, VEGF, and GLUT-1 in silico.

METHODS

The X-ray crystallographic structures of HIF-1α, VEGF, and GLUT1 were sourced from the Protein Data Bank (PDB) and docked with 70 3D PubChem structures of bioactive compounds of M. oleifera using AutoDock Vina, and binding modes were analyzed using Discovery Studio. Five compounds with the highest binding energies were selected and further drug-likeness, oral bioavailability, ADME, and toxicity profiles were analyzed using SwissADME, ADMETSaR, and ADMETlab 3.0 web server.

RESULTS

Out of the screened 70 bioactive compounds, the top five compounds with the best binding energies were identified namely Apigenin, Ellagic Acid, Isorhamnetin, Luteolin, and Myricetin with each receptor. Molecular docking results indicated that the ligands interact strongly with the target HIF-1α, VEGF, and GLUT-1 receptors through hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. These compounds showed favorable drug-like and pharmacokinetic properties, possessed no substantial toxicity, and were fairly bioavailable.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggested that the compounds possess strong potential in developing putative lead compounds targeting HIF-1α that are safe natural plant-based drugs against breast cancer.

Phytochemical analysis, physicochemical, pharmacokinetic properties and molecular docking studies of bioactive compounds in Ottelia alismoides (L.) pers. Against breast cancer proteins

Plants provide compounds that can be used to treat diseases, and in silico methods help to expedite drug discovery while reducing costs. This study explored the phytochemical profile of methanol extract of O. alismoides using GC-MS to identify potential bioactive compounds. Autodock 4.2.6. was employed for molecular docking evaluation of the efficacy of these identified compounds against Estrogen Receptor Alpha (ERα), Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2), and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), proteins. Additionally, the ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity) properties of the compounds were predicted using the SwissADME online tool. The preliminary phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, glycosides, and steroids. During the GC-MS analysis, seven compounds were identified, and drug-likeness prediction of these compounds showed good pharmacokinetic properties having high gastrointestinal absorption, and orally bioavailable. The molecular docking studies exhibited promising binding affinities of bioactive compounds against all target proteins. Specifically, the compounds Tricyclo[5.2.1.0(2,6)]decan-10-ol and 2,2,6-Trichloro-7-oxabicyclo[4.1.0]heptane-1-carboxamide demonstrated the highest binding affinities with the ERα (-6.3 and - 6.0 k/cal), HER2 (-5.6 and - 6.1 k/cal), and EGFR (-5.4 and - 5.4 k/cal), respectively. These findings suggest the potential of O. alismoides as a source for developing new cancer therapeutics. The study highlights the effectiveness of in silico approaches for accelerating drug discovery from natural sources and paves the way for further exploration of these promising compounds.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-024-00227-y.

Molecular Docking Study of Phytosterols in Lygodium microphyllum Towards SIRT1 and AMPK, the in vitro Brine Shrimp Toxicity Test, and the Phenols and Sterols Levels in the Extract

Background

Lygodium microphyllum is a fern plant with various pharmacological activities, and phytosterols were reported contained in the n-hexane and ethyl acetate extract of this plant. Phytosterols are known to inhibit steatosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) are the key proteins that control lipogenesis. However, information about L. microphyllum on SIRT1 and AMPK is still lacking.

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the binding mode of phytosterols in L. microphyllum extract towards AMPK and SIRT1, and the toxicity of the extract against brine shrimp (Artemia salina) larvae, and to determine the phenols and sterols levels in the extract.

Methods

The molecular docking was performed towards SIRT1 and AMPK using AutoDock v4.2.6, the toxicity of the extract was assayed against brine shrimp (Artemia salina) larvae, and the phytosterols were analyzed by employing a thin layer chromatography densitometry, and the total phenols were by spectrophotometry.

Results

The molecular docking study revealed that β-sitosterol and stigmasterol could occupy the active allosteric-binding site of SIRT1 and AMPK by binding to important residues similar to the protein's activators. The cold extraction of the plant yields 15.86% w/w. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of phenols, steroids, flavonoids, alkaloids, and saponins. The total phenols are equivalent to 126 mg gallic acid (GAE)/g dry extract, the total sterols are 954.04 µg/g, and the β-sitosterol level is 283.55 µg/g. The LC50 value of the extract towards A. salina larvae is 203.704 ppm.

Conclusion

Lygodium microphyllum extract may have the potential to be further explored for its pharmacology activities, particularly in the discovery of plant-based anti-dyslipidemic drug candidates. However, further studies are needed to confirm their roles in alleviating lipid disorders.

Molecular Interaction Studies and Phytochemical Characterization of Mentha pulegium L. Constituents with Multiple Biological Utilities as Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Anticancer and Anti-Hemolytic Agents

Multiple biological functions of Mentha pulegium extract were evaluated in the current work. Phytochemical components of the M. pulegium extract were detected by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Moreover, M. pulegium extract was estimated for antioxidant potential by 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) free radical scavenging, antimicrobial activity by well diffusion, and anticoagulant activity via prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT). GC-MS analysis detected compounds including cholesterol margarate, stigmast-5-en-3-ol, 19-nor-4-androstenediol, androstan-17-one, pulegone-1,2-epoxide, isochiapin B, dotriacontane, hexadecanoic acid and neophytadiene. Chrysoeriol (15.36 µg/mL) was followed by kaempferol (11.14 µg/mL) and 7-OH flavone (10.14 µg/mL), catechin (4.11 µg/mL), hisperdin (3.05 µg/mL), and luteolin (2.36 µg/mL) were detected by HPLC as flavonoids, in addition to ferulic (13.19 µg/mL), cinnamic (12.69 µg/mL), caffeic (11.45 µg/mL), pyrogallol (9.36 µg/mL), p-coumaric (5.06 µg/mL) and salicylic (4.17 µg/mL) as phenolics. Antioxidant activity was detected with IC50 18 µg/mL, hemolysis inhibition was recorded as 79.8% at 1000 μg/mL, and PT and APTT were at 21.5 s and 49.5 s, respectively, at 50 μg/mL of M. pulegium extract. The acute toxicity of M. pulegium extract was recorded against PC3 (IC50 97.99 µg/mL) and MCF7 (IC50 80.21 µg/mL). Antimicrobial activity of M. pulegium extract was documented against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonasaureus, Candida albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but not against black fungus Mucor circinelloides. Molecular docking was applied using MOE (Molecular Operating Environment) to explain the biological activity of neophytadiene, luteolin, chrysoeriol and kaempferol. These compounds could be suitable for the development of novel pharmacological agents for treatment of cancer and bacterial infections.

A Comprehensive Review on Therapeutic Perspectives of Phytosterols in Insulin Resistance: A Mechanistic Approach

Natural products in the form of functional foods have become increasingly popular due to their protective effects against life-threatening diseases, low risk of adverse effects, affordability, and accessibility. Plant components such as phytosterol, in particular, have drawn a lot of press recently due to a link between their consumption and a modest incidence of global problems, such as Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cancer, and cardiovascular disease. In the management of diet-related metabolic diseases, such as T2DM and cardiovascular disorders, these plant-based functional foods and nutritional supplements have unquestionably led the market in terms of cost-effectiveness, therapeutic efficacy, and safety. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder categoriszed by high blood sugar and insulin resistance, which influence major metabolic organs, such as the liver, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle. These chronic hyperglycemia fallouts result in decreased glucose consumption by body cells, increased fat mobilisation from fat storage cells, and protein depletion in human tissues, keeping the tissues in a state of crisis. In addition, functional foods such as phytosterols improve the body’s healing process from these crises by promoting a proper physiological metabolism and cellular activities. They are plant-derived steroid molecules having structure and function similar to cholesterol, which is found in vegetables, grains, nuts, olive oil, wood pulp, legumes, cereals, and leaves, and are abundant in nature, along with phytosterol derivatives. The most copious phytosterols seen in the human diet are sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol, which can be found in free form, as fatty acid/cinnamic acid esters or as glycosides processed by pancreatic enzymes. Accumulating evidence reveals that phytosterols and diets enriched with them can control glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as insulin resistance. Despite this, few studies on the advantages of sterol control in diabetes care have been published. As a basis, the primary objective of this review is to convey extensive updated information on the possibility of managing diabetes and associated complications with sterol-rich foods in molecular aspects.