Phytochemicals as multi-target inhibitors of the inflammatory pathway- A modeling and experimental study

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2017 Mar 11;484(3):467-473. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.01.046. Epub 2017 Jan 12.

Abstract

The arachidonic acid pathway consists of several enzymes and targeting them is favored for developing anti-inflammatory drugs. However, till date the current drugs are generally active against a single target, leading to undesirable side-effects. Phytochemicals are known to inhibit multiple targets simultaneously and hence, an attempt is made here to investigate their suitability. A pharmacophore based study is performed with three sets of reported phytochemicals namely, dual 5-LOX/mPGES1, alkaloids and FLAP inhibitors. The analysis indicated that phenylpropanoids (including ferulic acid) and benzoic acids derivatives, and berberine mapped onto these pharmacophores with three hydrophobic centroids and an acceptor feature. 2,4,5-trimethoxy (7) and 3,4-dimethoxy cinnamic acids (8) mapped onto all the three pharmacophores. Experimental studies indicated that berberine inhibited 5-LOX (100 μM) and PGE2 (50 μM) production by 72.2 and 72.0% and ferulic acid by 74.3 and 54.4% respectively. This approach offers a promising theoretical combined with experimental strategy for designing novel molecules against inflammatory enzymes.

Keywords: 5-Lipoxygenase; Inflammation; Microsomal prostaglandin E(2) synthase 1; Multitarget drugs; Pharmacophore.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / chemistry*
  • Binding Sites
  • Drug Delivery Systems / methods*
  • Drug Discovery
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / methods
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors / immunology*
  • Inflammation / drug therapy*
  • Inflammation / immunology
  • Inflammation Mediators / chemistry*
  • Inflammation Mediators / immunology
  • Models, Immunological
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Phytochemicals / chemistry*
  • Phytochemicals / immunology
  • Phytochemicals / therapeutic use
  • Protein Binding

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Inflammation Mediators
  • Phytochemicals