In silico profiling of analgesic, antidiarrheal and antihyperglycemic properties of Tetrastigma bracteolatum (Wall.) leaves extract supported by in vivo studies

Phytochemical analysis, radical scavenging and glioblastoma U87 cells toxicity studies of stem bark of buckthorn (Rhamnus pentapomica R. Parker)

BACKGROUND

During the past two decades, the correlation between oxidative stress and a variety of serious illnesses such as atherosclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Alzheimer disease (AD) and cancer has been established. Medicinal plants and their derived phytochemicals have proven efficacy against free radicals and their associated diseases. The current work was aimed to evaluate the phytochemical constituents of Rhamnus pentapomica R. Parker via Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and its antioxidant and anti-glioblastoma potentials.

METHODS

The bioactive compounds were analysed in Rhamnus pentapomica R. Parker stem bark extracts by GC-MS analysis, and to evaluate their antioxidant and anti-glioblastoma effects following standard procedures. The stem bark was extracted with 80% methanol for 14 days to get crude methanolic extract (Rp.Cme) followed by polarity directed fractionation using solvents including ethyl acetate, chloroform, butanol to get ethyl acetate fraction (Rp.EtAc), chloroform fraction (Rp.Chf) and butanol fraction (Rp.Bt) respectively. Antioxidant assay was performed using DPPH free radicals and cell viability assay against U87 glioblastoma cancer cell lines was performed via MTT assay.

RESULTS

In GC-MS analysis, thirty-one compounds were detected in Rp.Cme, 22 in Rp.Chf, 24 in Rp.EtAc and 18 compounds were detected in Rp.Bt. Among the identified compounds in Rp.Cme, 9-Octadecenoic acid (Z)-methyl ester (7.73%), Octasiloxane (5.13%) and Heptasiloxane (5.13%), Hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester (3.76%) and Pentadecanoic acid, 14-methyl-, methyl Ester (3.76%) were highly abundant.. In Rp.Chf, Benzene, 1,3-dimethyl- (3.24%) and in Rp.EtAc Benzene, 1,3-dimethyl-(11.29%) were highly abundant compounds. Antioxidant studies revealed that Rp.Cme and Rp.EtAc exhibit considerable antioxidant potentials with IC50 values of 153.53 μg/ml and 169.62 μg/ml respectively. Both fractions were also highly effective against glioblastoma cells with IC50 of 147.64 μg/ml and 76.41ug/ml respectively.

CONCLUSION

Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of important metabolites which might be active against free radicals and glioblastoma cells. Various samples of the plant exhibited considerable antioxidant and anti-glioblastoma potentials warranting further detailed studies.

Comparative antihyperglycemic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory potential of ethanolic aerial root extracts of Ceriops decandra and Ceriops tagal: Supported by molecular docking and ADMET analysis

Ceriops decandra (Griff.) (CD) and Ceriops tagal (Perr.) (CT) are two mangrove plants of the Sundarbans distributed along the coastal areas of South Asia and South Pacific Africa. Traditionally, these plants are used to treat diabetes, pain, angina, hemorrhage, and ulcer. In this study, we investigated the antioxidative, antihyperglycemic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory potential of the aerial roots of CD and CT. At first, the antioxidative potential of CD and CT ethanolic extracts were investigated qualitatively and quantitatively by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays and by determining total antioxidant capacity. The total phenolic, flavonoid, tannin, and terpenoid contents of CD and CT were also estimated. The extracts' antihyperglycemic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory potential were evaluated by oral glucose tolerance test, acetic acid-induced writhing test, and formaldehyde-induced paw-edema test, respectively. In vitro α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzyme inhibitory activities were also assessed. The CD and CT extracts were also analyzed using GCMS for the presence of phytochemicals. Then, molecular docking was carried out with α-glucosidase, α-amylase, cyclooxygenase-II (COX-II), 3-lipoxygenase (3-LOX) enzymes using the compounds found in GCMS analysis as well as the previously reported compounds from CD and CT. Finally, the pharmacokinetic and toxicological profiles of eight selected compounds were assessed with SwissADME and admetSAR server. In the antioxidative, antihyperglycemic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activity tests, CT extract showed a greater potential than CD extract. In addition, CT extract demonstrated higher α-glucosidase enzyme inhibitory activity in comparison to CD extract although CD extract exhibited better α-amylase enzyme inhibitory activity. Molecular docking studies revealed the presence of potentially bioactive compounds in both CD and CT. 2-(2-methylphenyl)-1-phenyl-(z)-1-propene of CD demonstrated good binding affinities for α-glucosidase, COX-II, and 3-LOX. In addition, 5S*,8S*,9S*,10R*,13S*)-18-hydroxy-16-nor-3-oxodolabr-4(18)-en-15-oic acid had high binding interactions for both α-glucosidase and α-amylase while 2',5,5'-tetramethyl-1,1'-biphenyl, 2-methyl-4-(3'-phenylpropyl)piperidine and decandrin C had high binding interactions for both COX-II and 3-LOX. Finally, 5S*,8S*,9S*,10R*,13S*)-18-hydroxy-16-nor-3-oxodolabr-4(18)-en-15-oic acid, decandrin C, 2-(2-methylphenyl)-1-phenyl-(z)-1-propene and 2-methyl-4-(3'-phenylpropyl)piperidine demonstrated better pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties in the ADMET analysis compared to the others. Hence it can be concluded that the present study supports the traditional usage of CD and CT for diabetes and pain and reveals the presence of bioactive phytochemicals in both.

Analgesic, Anti-inflammatory, Antipyretic, and In Silico Measurements of Sonneratia caseolaris (L.) Fruits from Sundarbans, Bangladesh

Sonneratia caseolaris is a widely distributed mangrove plant having much therapeutic importance in traditional medicine. This plant is reported for possessing numerous compounds that are already used for many therapeutic purposes. After finding the presence of antioxidant components in the qualitative antioxidative assay, we went to conduct quantitative tests where the total contents of phenolics, flavonoids, and tannins were estimated as 122 mg GAE/gm, 613 mg QE/gm, and 30 mg GAE/gm, respectively. In DPPH free radical, H₂O₂, and superoxide radical scavenging assay, the SC₅₀ values were found to be 87, 66, and 192 μg/ml, respectively. In FeCl₃ reducing power assay, the RC₅₀ of SC extract and ascorbic acid were 80 and 28 μg/ml, respectively. This extract revealed a significant peripheral analgesic effect in the acetic acid-induced writhing model in mice by reducing the writhing impulse by about 21% and 39% at 250  and 500 mg/kg doses, respectively, and a central analgesic effect in the tail immersion method by elongating the time up to about 22% and 37% at the same doses. In the anti-inflammatory test in mice, this extract reduced the paw edema size over the observed period in a dose-dependent manner. It also showed a significant reduction in the elevated rectal temperature of mice in the observing period in Brewer's yeast-induced pyrexia model. In silico analysis revealed better binding characteristics of ellagic acid and luteolin among other compounds with various receptors that might be responsible for antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. From our observation, we suppose that SC fruits might be a potential source of drug leads for various inflammatory disorders.

Application of Mathematical Modeling and Computational Tools in the Modern Drug Design and Development Process

The conventional drug discovery approach is an expensive and time-consuming process, but its limitations have been overcome with the help of mathematical modeling and computational drug design approaches. Previously, finding a small molecular candidate as a drug against a disease was very costly and required a long time to screen a compound against a specific target. The development of novel targets and small molecular candidates against different diseases including emerging and reemerging diseases remains a major concern and necessitates the development of novel therapeutic targets as well as drug candidates as early as possible. In this regard, computational and mathematical modeling approaches for drug development are advantageous due to their fastest predictive ability and cost-effectiveness features. Computer-aided drug design (CADD) techniques utilize different computer programs as well as mathematics formulas to comprehend the interaction of a target and drugs. Traditional methods to determine small-molecule candidates as a drug have several limitations, but CADD utilizes novel methods that require little time and accurately predict a compound against a specific disease with minimal cost. Therefore, this review aims to provide a brief insight into the mathematical modeling and computational approaches for identifying a novel target and small molecular candidates for curing a specific disease. The comprehensive review mainly focuses on biological target prediction, structure-based and ligand-based drug design methods, molecular docking, virtual screening, pharmacophore modeling, quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models, molecular dynamics simulation, and MM-GBSA/MM-PBSA approaches along with valuable database resources and tools for identifying novel targets and therapeutics against a disease. This review will help researchers in a way that may open the road for the development of effective drugs and preventative measures against a disease in the future as early as possible.