Exploration of analgesic and anthelmintic activities of Artocarpus chaplasha ROXB. leaves supported by in silico molecular docking

Abstract

Aartocarpus chaplasha is a medicinal tree native to tropical regions, valued for its diverse therapeutic properties and bioactive compounds found in its leaves, bark, and fruit. This study investigates the analgesic and anthelmintic properties of the ethanolic leaf extract of Aartocarpus chaplasha (ELAC). HPLC analysis identified key compounds in ELAC, including catechin hydrate, epicatechin, rutin hydrate, p-coumaric acid, rosmarinic acid, quercetin, and kaemferol. ADMET properties and molecular docking analysis were performed using the identified compounds and analgesic targets COX-1 and COX-2 and the anthelmintic target tubulin-colchicine. Analgesic activity was assessed using the acetic acid-induced writhing test on Swiss albino mice, while anthelmintic effects were evaluated against Paramphistomum cervi. In silico molecular docking suggested that catechin hydrate and kaempferol could be promising alternatives for analgesic activity due to their higher binding energy with COX-1 and COX-2. Moreover, rutin hydrate showed strong binding energy with tubulin-colchicine against anthelmintic properties. At a 500 mg/kg dosage, ELAC exhibited significant analgesic effects. In the anthelmintic tests, a 100 mg/mL concentration resulted in the lowest paralysis and death times of 14.03 and 18.03 mins, respectively. Our present study suggests that Aartocarpus chaplasha leaves can be a potential source of lead compounds for pain management and helminth infections and further advanced investigations are required in the future.