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

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.

Unveiling the pharmacological potential of Coelogyne suaveolens: An investigation of its diverse pharmacological activities by in vivo and computational studies

“…Studies have been conducted recently on a variety of medicinal plants, including Hedychium spicatum , whose rhizomes are used to treat pain, diarrhea, nausea, liver issues, vomiting, inflammation, headache, stomachaches, and fever, as well as Erigeron bonariensis , which is said to have antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti‐inflammatory properties, and Paederia foetida , which has anti‐diabetic, anti‐hyperlipidemic, antioxidant, nephro‐protective, anti‐inflammatory, antinociceptive, antitussive, thrombolytic, anti‐diarrhoeal, sedative‐anxiolytic, anti‐ulcer, hepatoprotective, and anthelmintic activity (Mahanur et al., 2023 ; Sarma et al., 2023 ; Singh et al., 2023 ). On the other hand, in silico methods, as described in recent research (Hossain et al., 2023 ; Madden et al., 2020 ), create predictions about numerous characteristics of chemical compounds, particularly ADME traits, along with their biological function and toxicity, using the current data and molecular composition information. These models are based on the basic concept that a chemical's molecular structure encodes both its inherent characteristics and its potential interactions.…”