An Integrated In Vitro and In Silico Investigation of the Bioactive Properties of Wild Glycyrrhiza glabra var. glandulifera.

Abstract

This investigation examined methanol extracts obtained from the whole plant (encompassing all organs except roots), flowers, and fruits of wild Glycyrrhiza glabra var. glandulifera, a liquorice cultivar indigenous to the Cappadocia region of Türkiye, constituting the first comprehensive in vitro and in silico analysis of this species within the region. Anatomical identification revealed distinctive structural characteristics, including thick-walled epidermal cells in the stem, organized clusters of collenchyma cells, and well-defined sclerenchyma layers encompassing the vascular bundles. The petiole exhibited a characteristic heart-shaped morphology containing three vascular bundles, while foliar analysis demonstrated the presence of stomata on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces, accompanied by a bifacial mesophyll arrangement. The extracts demonstrated remarkable antimicrobial efficacy against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as various fungal species. Furthermore, significant cytotoxic activity was observed against non-small cell lung cancer (H460), with the whole plant extract exhibiting IC₅₀ values of 117.8 µg/mL (24 h) and 105.6 µg/mL (48 h). Flower extracts demonstrated IC₅₀ values of 116.8 µg/mL (24 h) and 112.7 µg/mL (48 h), while fruit extracts displayed superior potency with IC₅₀ values of 104.4 µg/mL (24 h) and 63.09 µg/mL (48 h). Molecular docking analyses, conducted utilizing AutoDock Tools 1.5.6 and BIOVIA Discovery Studio Visualizer 4.5, revealed significant protein-ligand interactions, yielding optimal binding energy and inhibition constant values of -9.57 kcal/mol and 96.92 nM, respectively. The RMSD values were calculated based on structural variations between ligand-protein complexes during re-docking procedures. These findings underscore the substantial biological potential of Glycyrrhiza glabra var. glandulifera from Cappadocia, necessitating further comprehensive investigation.