ASTERACEAE FAMILY’S ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY: A REVIEW OF IN SILICO APPROACHES

The Asteraceae family exists in various biological settings worldwide, except Antarctica. Members of this family have traditionally been used as astringents, antipyretics, anti-inflammatories, hepatoprotectives, and diaphoretics in fevers, smooth muscle relaxants, nerve tonics, laxatives, and for the treatment of wounds, bleeding, headaches, pains, spasmodic diseases, and cachexia-causing disorders. Their pharmacological actions are related to phytochemical substances, such as polyphenols, phenolic acids, flavonoids, acetylenes, and triterpenes. With the introduction of in silico methodologies, researchers now have tremendous tools for exploring and optimizing plant-based molecules for medicinal use. The purpose of this work is to analyze in silico assessments of the Asteraceae family, with an emphasis on their possible anti-inflammatory properties. A literature review used Boolean operators and pertinent MESH (Medical Subject Headings) phrases on search engines such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus. The review included research that used in silico approaches such as molecular docking and ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, Toxicity) predictions. Around 66 papers were reviewed, with 30 judged fit for further investigation. The review found potent compounds in 27 species and 5 genera of the Asteraceae family with high binding affinities and favorable pharmacokinetic profiles in silico, without any toxicity. The most frequent anti-inflammatory routes include COX-2 inhibition, lipoxygenase inhibition, decrease of TNF-alpha enzyme, NF-kB pathway, and NO scavenging, among others. These findings indicate that certain Asteraceae plants have substantial potential for development as anti-inflammatory treatments. Future studies should combine in silico discoveries with in vitro and in vivo studies to generate effective anti-inflammatory medicines.