In vitro and in silico anthelminthic evaluations of the extracts of Aglaia Elaeagnoidea leaves against Pheretima posthuma

Helminth infections remain a significant public health challenge, particularly in tropical regions, where they are among the most neglected tropical diseases. Globally, an estimated 14 million individuals are affected by helminthiasis, necessitating the discovery of novel, effective anthelmintic agents. This study aims to evaluate the anthelmintic and antibacterial potential of Aglaia elaeagnoidea leaf extracts through both In vitro and in silico approaches, using Pheretima posthuma as the experimental helminth model. The anthelmintic activity of A. elaeagnoidea leaf extracts was assessed In vitro using adult Indian earthworms (Pheretima posthuma), while antibacterial efficacy was evaluated via the serial dilution method. In silico analysis included molecular docking and pharmacokinetic properties (ADME) of reported phytoconstituents using Maestro 12.7 (Schrödinger 2021), targeting the tubulin protein (PDB ID: 1SA0). Further, GCMS analysis has also been performed using methanolic extract. The methanolic extract of A. elaeagnoidea demonstrated significant anthelmintic activity at 60 mg/mL with the shortest paralysis and death times (2.28 ± 1.52, 3.27 ± 2.36 min, respectively). Also, methanolic extract was showed moderate antibacterial activity with MIC ranging from 3.12 µg/mL to 50 µg/mL. Further, molecular docking studies revealed that phytoconstituents such as methyl vanillate (− 8.12 kcal/mol), scopoleptin (− 7.8 kcal/mol), and methyl syringate (-7.77 kcal/mol) showed stronger binding affinities to tubulin protein compared to standard anthelmintic drugs, and also possessed favorable drug-like ADME profiles. The leaf extracts of Aglaia elaeagnoidea possess promising anthelmintic and antibacterial properties, potentially attributed to key phytocompounds identified through molecular docking. These findings suggest that A. elaeagnoidea could serve as a valuable natural source for the development of novel anthelmintic agents following further pharmacological and toxicological validation.