Identifying therapeutic effect of kombucha Pirdot (Saurauia vulcani Korth.) against colorectal cancer: The experimental data and in silico approach

Abstract

This study pioneers the evaluation of Kombucha Pirdot (KP) in combating colorectal cancer through combined in vivo and in silico methods. It involved categorizing rats into four groups (n = 6) consisting of the control, benzo(a)pyrene (B[a]P) treated, KP group, and a combination therapy for 30 days. The research focused on the interaction of S.vulcani and (B[a]P) compounds with colorectal signaling, using protein-protein interaction networks, molecular docking and dynamic simulation to assess compound affinity with target proteins. Furthermore, the epitope of colorectal cancer was aligned with the kombucha microorganism to explore the cross-reactivity. The experimental data demonstrated that B[a]P impaired colon histoarchitecture and elevated interleukin1β, whereas KP countered these effects. The study pinpointed key proteins and notable S. vulcani compounds linked to colorectal cancer. Moreover, six epitope candidates of colorectal cancer were obtained which have an identity of 65%–95 % for query coverage with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae that bind and fluctuate stability to core regions of HLA- A*0101 and HLA-DRB1*0101. Overall, the results underscore KP's potential as a viable option in developing colorectal cancer treatments.