Antioxidant activity of <i>Brachiaria sabia</i> and <i>Brachiaria marandu</i> and molecular docking of constituents targeting insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) for cancer treatment

The methanol extracts of Brachiaria sabia, and Brachiaria marandu leaves were evaluated for its ability to scavenge free radicals, reduce ferric iron, and function as an iron chelator. The extracts were subjected to HPLC analysis. The two Brachiaria species possessed strong antioxidant activity, with B. marandu had a higher percentage (%) of phenolic content than Brachiaria gayana. In silico studies revealed that the two Brachiaria grasses tested enhanced insulin-like growth receptor factor-1 receptors (IGF-1R). Quercetin, which is consistent compound in the two grasses, had highest binding affinity to insulin-like growth factor-1 receptors with value of -40.5971. This study therefore reveals that Brachiaria sabia, and Brachiaria marandu are good antioxidant and Quercetin, a constituent of Brachiaria grasses, binds to insulin-like growth factor-1 receptors (IGF-1R) which plays an important role in cancer cell proliferation. In vivo and in vitro research are also necessary to validate this in silico result.