Uncovering anti-inflammatory potential of Lantana camara Linn: Network pharmacology and in vitro studies.

Abstract

Lantana camara Linn contains a diverse array of metabolites that exhibit therapeutic potential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of L. camara leaves, which were collected at the Ie-Seu'um geothermal area in Aceh, Indonesia, as an anti-inflammatory through network pharmacology and in vitro analysis. The ethanolic extract derived from L. camara underwent identification utilizing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to verify chemical constituents for drug-likeness properties. The evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity included network pharmacology and a series of in vitro investigations using two methods: protein inhibition and albumin denaturation assays. The findings revealed that the extract contained a domination of terpenoids and fatty acids class, which met the evaluation criteria of drug-likeness. Network pharmacology analysis identified the top five key proteins (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, prostaglandin G/H synthase 2, epidermal growth factor receptor, hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha, and tyrosine protein kinase-Janus kinase 2) involved in inflammation-related protein-protein interactions. Gene ontology enrichment highlighted the predominance of inflammatory responses in biological processes (BP), cytoplasm in cellular components (CC), and oxidoreductase activity in molecular functions (MF). In vitro analysis showed that the extract inhibited protein activity and protein denaturation with inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values of 202.27 and 223.85 ppm, respectively. Additionally, the extract had antioxidant activity with DPPH- and ABTS-scavenging IC₅₀ values of 140 ppm and 163 ppm, respectively. Toxicological assessment by brine shrimp lethality assay (BSLA), yielding a lethal concentration (LC₅₀) value of 574 ppm (essentially non-toxic) and its prediction via ProTox 3.0 that indicated non-active in hepatotoxicity, carcinogenicity, immunotoxicity, mutagenicity, and cytotoxicity. These results suggested that L. camara holds noteworthy effectiveness as a potential candidate for complementary medicine in the realm of inflammatory agents, warranting further investigation in clinical settings.