Computational and biological efficacy of stigmasterol against HeLa cells and Vero cells- first time isolated from the ethanolic extract of Annonamuricata Linn leaves

Computational investigation of stigmasterol as a potential therapeutic agent for cervical cancer: insights from density functional theory (DFT) and molecular docking studies

Cervical cancer an appalling disease common amongst women worldwide, caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) with 80% increasing cases in developing countries, is reported to be persistent despite the various treatment measures. Hence, this research explores the properties of stigmasterol (SML), a biological active compound derived from Costus afer plant, as a drug agent for treatment of cervical cancer via density functional theory (DFT) studies and molecular docking investigation. Here, five key proteins were selected (for 4LEO, 7X8O, 5N2F, 4P7U and 2N5R) for in silico molecular docking study with SML. The DFT at ωB97XD/6-311++G (2d, 2p) level of theory was utilized and optimization of the compound was carried out in four different solvent phases, viz; acetone, ethanol, water, and gas to ascertain the level of reactivity and stability of the compound. The HOMO-LUMO energy gaps exhibited by acetone, ethanol, gas, and water were: 9.4128 eV, 9.4134 eV, 9.3140 eV, and 9.4164 eV, respectively. Interestingly, the resulting binding affinities for SML-protein interaction for 4LEO, 7X8O, 5N2F, 4P7U and 2N5R showed notable binding affinities of - 7.6 kcal/mol, - 5.2 kcal/mol, - 6.1 kcal/mol, - 5.2 kcal/mol and - 5.0 kcal/mol, respectively, as compared to the binding affinities (- 5.2 to - 7.6 kcal/mol) recorded for proteins-standard drugs interaction. The Non-covalent interactions (NCI) analysis showed predominately, van der Waals interactions in all the phases. This investigation suggest that SML can be used in the treatment and management of cervical cancer and requires further investigation.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-025-00361-1.

Carbon dot unravels accumulation of triterpenoid in Evolvulus alsinoides hairy roots culture by stimulating growth, redox reactions and ANN machine learning model prediction of metabolic stress response

Evolvulus alsinoides, a therapeutically valuable shrub can provide consistent supply of secondary metabolites (SM) with pharmaceutical significance. Nonetheless, because of its short life cycle, fresh plant material for research and medicinal diagnostics is severely scarce throughout the year. The effects of exogenous carbon quantum dot (CD) application on metabolic profiles, machine learning (ML) prediction of metabolic stress response, and SM yields in hairy root cultures of E. alsinoides were investigated and quantified. The range of the particle size distribution of the CDs was between 3 and 7 nm. The CDs EPR signal and spin trapping experiments demonstrated the formation of O2-•spin-adducts at (g = 2.0023). Carbon dot treatment increased the levels of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde concentrations as well as increased antioxidant enzyme activity. CD treatments (6 μg mL-1) significantly enhanced the accumulation of squalene and stigmasterol (7 and 5-fold respectively). The multilayer perceptron (MLP) algorithm demonstrated remarkable prediction accuracy (MSE value = 1.99E-03 and R2 = 0.99939) in both the training and testing sets for modelling. Based on the prediction, the maximum oxidative stress index and enzymatic activities were highest in the medium supplemented with 10 μg mL-1 CDs. The outcome of this study indicated that, for the first time, using CD could serve as a novel elicitor for the production of valuable SM. MLP may also be used as a forward-thinking tool to optimize and predict SM with high pharmaceutical significance. This study would be a touchstone for understanding the use of ML and luminescent nanomaterials in the production and commercialization of important SM.

In silico and in vitro Characterizations of Rodent Tuber (Typhonium flagelliforme) Mutant Plant Isolates against FXR Receptor on MCF-7 Cells

Typhonium flagelliforme (T. flagelliforme) is an Indonesian rodent tuber plant traditionally used to treat cancer diseases. Although gamma-ray irradiation has been used to increase the content in the chemical compounds of the T. flagelliforme plants with anticancer activity ten times effective, the specific effect of the isolated compounds from the mutant plants has never been reported yet. The potential cytotoxic agents were characterized via nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry as stigmasterol and 7α-hydroxyl stigmasterol; and their anticancer activity was investigated. The in silico biochemical profile of the two compounds were analyzed by molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation to confirm its interaction with the agonist binding site of Farsenoid X receptor (FXR). Stigmasterol and 7α-hydroxyl stigmasterol can act as a competitive regulator with a high-affinity for the FXR. The results also showed that stigmasterol and 7α-hydroxyl stigmasterol were the most potential and active fraction of the T. flagelliforme mutant plant against the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line, with IC 50 value 9.13 µM and 12.97 µM, compared with cisplastin as a control about 13.20 µM. These results demonstrate the potential of stigmasterol and 7α-hydroxyl stigmasterol in T. flagelliforme mutant plants to act towards cancer diseases.

Innovative Preparation of Cellulose-Mediated Silver Nanoparticles for Multipurpose Applications: Experiment and Molecular Docking Studies

In recent years, inorganic metal nanoparticle fabrication by extraction of a different part of the plant has been gaining more importance. In this research, cellulose-mediated Ag nanoparticles (cellulose/Ag NPs) with excellent antibacterial and antioxidant properties and photocatalytic activity have been synthesized by the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. This method is a green, simple, and low-cost method that does not use any other capping or reducing agents. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), field emission scanning microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), and UV-visible spectroscopic techniques were used to investigate the structure, morphology, as well as components of the generated cellulose/Ag NPs. In fact, XRD results confirm the formation of the face-centered cubic phase of Ag nanoparticles, while the FTIR spectra showed that the synergy of carbohydrates and proteins is responsible for the formation of cellulose/Ag NPs by the green method. It was found that the green-synthesized silver nanoparticles showed good crystallinity and a size range of about 20-30 nm. The morphology results showed that cellulose has a cavity-like structure and the green-synthesized Ag NPs were dispersed throughout the cellulose polymer matrix. In comparison to cellulose/Ag NPs and Ag nanoparticles, cellulose/Ag NPs demonstrated excellent antibacterial activity, Proteus mirabilis (MTCC 1771) possessed a maximum inhibition zone of 18.81.5 mm at 2.5 g/mL, and Staphylococcus aureus (MTTC 3615) had a minimum inhibition zone of 11.30.5 mm at 0.5 g/mL. Furthermore, cellulose/Ag NPs also exhibited a significant radical scavenging property against the DDPH free radical, and there was a higher degradation efficiency compared to pure Ag NPs against Rhodamine B as 97.38% removal was achieved. Notably, cellulose/Ag NPs remarkably promoted the transfer and separation of photogenerated electron-hole (e-/h+) pairs, thereby offering prospective application of the photodegradation efficiency for Rhodamine B (RhB) as well as antibacterial applications. With the findings from this study, we could develop efficient and environmentally friendly cellulose/Ag nanoparticles using low-cost, environmentally friendly materials, making them suitable for industrial and technological applications.

A Comprehensive Update on Phytochemistry, Analytical Aspects, Medicinal Attributes, Specifications and Stability of Stigmasterol

Phytosterols are bioactive substances naturally found in plant cell membranes, and their chemical structure is comparable to cholesterol found in mammalian cells. They are widely distributed in plant foods like olive oil, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Amongst the variety of phytosterols, stigmasterol is the vital compound found abundantly in plants. Numerous hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, corticoids and androgen, are synthesized by stigmasterol. Multiple in-vitro and in-vivo investigations have shown that stigmasterol has various biological effects, including antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, respiratory diseases, and lipid-lowering effects. Experimental research on stigmasterol provides indisputable proof that this phytosterol has the potential to be employed in supplements used to treat the illnesses mentioned above. This substance has a high potential, making it a noteworthy medication in the future. Although several researchers have investigated this phytosterol to assess its prospective qualities, it has not yet attained therapeutic levels, necessitating additional clinical studies. This review offers a comprehensive update on stigmasterol, including chemical framework, biosynthesis, synthetic derivatives, extraction and isolation, analytical aspects, pharmacological profile, patent status, clinical trials, stability and specifications as per regulatory bodies.

Health Benefits and Pharmacological Properties of Stigmasterol

Stigmasterol is an unsaturated phytosterol belonging to the class of tetracyclic triterpenes. It is one of the most common plant sterols, found in a variety of natural sources, including vegetable fats or oils from many plants. Currently, stigmasterol has been examined via in vitro and in vivo assays and molecular docking for its various biological activities on different metabolic disorders. The findings indicate potent pharmacological effects such as anticancer, anti-osteoarthritis, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, immunomodulatory, antiparasitic, antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. Indeed, stigmasterol from plants and algae is a promising molecule in the development of drugs for cancer therapy by triggering intracellular signaling pathways in numerous cancers. It acts on the Akt/mTOR and JAK/STAT pathways in ovarian and gastric cancers. In addition, stigmasterol markedly disrupted angiogenesis in human cholangiocarcinoma by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) signaling down-regulation. The association of stigmasterol and sorafenib promoted caspase-3 activity and down-regulated levels of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 in breast cancer. Antioxidant activities ensuring lipid peroxidation and DNA damage lowering conferred to stigmasterol chemoprotective activities in skin cancer. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulation also contributes to the neuroprotective effects of stigmasterol, as well as dopamine depletion and acetylcholinesterase inhibition. The anti-inflammatory properties of phytosterols involve the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines, the decrease in inflammatory mediator release, and the inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Stigmasterol exerts anti-diabetic effects by reducing fasting glucose, serum insulin levels, and oral glucose tolerance. Other findings showed the antiparasitic activities of this molecule against certain strains of parasites such as Trypanosoma congolense (in vivo) and on promastigotes and amastigotes of the Leishmania major (in vitro). Some stigmasterol-rich plants were able to inhibit Candida albicans, virusei, and tropicalis at low doses. Accordingly, this review outlines key insights into the pharmacological abilities of stigmasterol and the specific mechanisms of action underlying some of these effects. Additionally, further investigation regarding pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology is recommended.