Chromatographic Analysis and Enzyme Inhibition Potential of Reynoutria japonica Houtt.: Computational Docking, ADME, Pharmacokinetic, and Toxicokinetic Analyses of the Major Compounds
<b>Background:</b><i>Reynoutria japonica</i> Houtt. has been used for inflammatory diseases, skin burns, and high cholesterol in traditional Chinese medicine, and the roots and rhizomes of the plant were registered in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. This study evaluated the enzyme inhibitory activities of <i>R. japonica</i> extracts from Türkiye. Its major phytochemical content was elucidated, molecular interaction studies of the main compounds were conducted, and toxicokinetic predictions and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination studies were performed with in silico methods. <b>Methods</b>: <i>R. japonica</i> extracts were tested for their enzyme inhibitory activities using an ELISA microplate reader. The phytochemical profile was elucidated by LC-MS QTOF. Docking and other in silico studies evaluated interactions of its main components with cholinesterase, collagenase, and elastase. <b>Results</b>: <i>R. japonica</i> exhibited significant cholinesterase inhibitory effectiveness, while the stem and root extracts showed moderate tyrosinase inhibition. <i>R. japonica</i> leaf (IC<sub>50</sub> = 117.20 ± 4.84 g/mL) and flower extracts (IC<sub>50</sub> = 111.40 ± 1.45 µg/mL) exhibited considerable elastase activity. <i>R. japonica</i> leaf (IC<sub>50</sub> = 171.00 ± 6.76 g/mL) and root (IC<sub>50</sub> = 160.00 ± 6.81 g/mL) extracts displayed similar and potent collagenase inhibition. In the LC-MS QTOF analysis, procyanidin dimer, catechin, piceid, torachrysone, and its glucoside isomers were identified as the major components and resveratrol as the minor component. Galloylglucose showed the strongest binding at cholinesterase <i>via</i> key hydrogen bonds, while emodin-6-glucoside and emodin formed stable interactions with elastase. Piceid displayed significant polar and water-mediated contacts with collagenase. These findings underscore the potential of these ligands as protein inhibitors. In silico predictions reveal that emodin possessed the most favorable drug-like properties but posed potential interaction risks. <b>Conclusions</b>: This research represents the first investigation of the bioactivity and phytochemistry of <i>R. japonica</i> grown and documented in 2020 in Türkiye. Our findings point out that <i>R. japonica</i> could be used for cosmetic purposes, and further studies on neurological disorders could be performed.
Authors
- Osman Tuğay (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3980-7648)
- Ibrahim Ayhan Aysal
- Ramin Ekhteiari Salmas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3888-5070)
- İlkay Erdoğan Orhan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7379-5436)
- Onur Kenan Ulutaş (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8819-9461)
- Fatma Sezer Şenol (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5850-9841)
- Tuğsen Büyükyıldırım (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0101-9742)
Institutions
- Selçuk University (TR)
- King's College London (GB)
- Turkish Academy of Sciences (TR)
- Lokman Hekim Üniversitesi (TR)
- Gazi University (TR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Pharmaceuticals
- Published
- 2025-03-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/ph18030408
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Phytochemistry and Biological Activities
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 5.25