Dysphania ambrosioides as a Source of Antioxidant Candidates for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and Prostatitis: A Critical Review and In Silico Prioritisation
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatitis are multifactorial urological disorders associated with chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and androgenic imbalance. Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants contains flavonoids and phenolic acids with well-recognised antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; however, its potential activity against the molecular targets of these prostatic disorders has not been systematically evaluated. A comparative quantitative analysis was performed using studies published between 2005 and 2025 that reported antioxidant activity (DPPH assay, IC50 in µg/mL) of D. ambrosioides extracts. Metabolites from extracts with IC50 values below the global mean (398.410 ± 81.810 µg/mL; n = 35) were selected for in silico prioritisation using OSIRIS, PASS, and ProTox 3.0, followed by molecular docking (CB-Dock2) against AR, 5AR2, COX-2, NLRP3, and α1A receptors. Luteolin and rosmarinic acid showed favourable binding energies (−9.5 to −7.7 kcal/mol) comparable in magnitude to reference drugs (finasteride −13.4, celecoxib −11.4, tamsulosin −7.3 kcal/mol). These metabolites, exhibited affinity for androgenic, inflammatory, and adrenergic targets, suggesting their potential to modulate key mechanisms underlying both BPH and prostatitis. This study integrates, for the first time, a quantitative assessment of antioxidant activity with a multitarget in silico analysis of D. ambrosioides, prioritising luteolin and rosmarinic acid as natural candidates with potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiandrogenic properties relevant to prostatic health.
Authors
- Enrique Jiménez‐Ferrer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0783-8274)
- Rodolfo Abarca-Vargas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9468-3484)
- Tania Abarca-Salgado
- Azamar Aarón Vargas-Radilla
- José de Jesús Flores-Melgar
Institutions
- Mexican Social Security Institute (MX)
- Hospital General De Zona (MX)
- Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (MX)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Scientia Pharmaceutica
- Published
- 2025-11-13
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/scipharm93040057
- Primary Topic
- Sesquiterpenes and Asteraceae Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00