연구성과 홍보

Molecules. 2023 Sep 11;28(18):6573

Title : In Vivo, In Vitro and In Silico Study of Cucurbita moschata Flower Extract: A Promising Source of Natural Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antibacterial Agents

Authors : Md Rabiul Hossain1, Rashedul Alam2, Hea-Jong Chung3*, Taslima Akter Eva4, Mohammed Fazlul Kabir5, Husnum Mamurat1, Seong-Tshool Hong6, Md Al Hafiz7, S M Moazzem Hossen4*

Affiliations :

1Department of Pharmacy, University of Science and Technology, Foy's Lake, Chittagong 4202, Bangladesh.

2Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.

3Gwanju Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Gwanju 61715, Republic of Korea.

4Department of Pharmacy, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331, Bangladesh.

5Department of Biological Science, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.

6Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Medical Science, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju 54907, Republic of Korea.

7Department of Pharmacy, East West University, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh.

DOI: 10.3390/molecules28186573.

Abstract :

For thousands of years, medicinal plants have played a pivotal role in maintaining human health and improving the quality of human life. This study was designed to analyze the analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial potentials of a hydro-methanolic extract of Cucurbita moschata flowers, along with qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screening. The anti-inflammatory effect was tested using the in vitro membrane stabilizing method for human red blood cells (HRBC), the analgesic effect was tested using the in vivo acetic acid-induced writing method, and the antibacterial effect was tested using the disc diffusion method. In silico ADME/T and molecular docking studies were performed to assess the potential of the stated phytochemicals against Cyclooxygenase-II enzyme. Phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, and carbohydrates. The flower extract demonstrated the maximum protection of human red blood cells at 1000 µg/mL, with a 65.73% reduction in hemolysis in a hypotonic solution. The extract also showed significant (p < 0.05) and dose-dependent analgesic effects at oral doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg on the tested animals. Furthermore, the flower extract exhibited potent antibacterial activity due to the disc diffusion method, which was compared with standard ciprofloxacin. In silico testing revealed that 42 phytochemicals exhibited notable pharmacokinetic properties and passed drug likeness screening tests. Among the six best-selected compounds, 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)methanamine showed the highest binding affinity (-10.1) with significant non-bonding interactions with the target enzyme. In conclusion, the hydro-methanolic extract of Cucurbita moschata was found to be rich in various phytochemicals that may be associated with therapeutic potential, and this study supports the traditional use of Cucurbita moschata flowers in the management of inflammation and painful conditions.