Catharanthus roseus Phytochemicals as Multi-Target Modulators of Disability-Linked Neurodegeneration: Bio-Computational Insights

<b>Background</b>: Disability-linked neurodegeneration involves cholinergic dysfunction, amyloidogenesis, glutamatergic excitotoxicity, and dopaminergic imbalance, highlighting the need for multi-target modulation. <i>Catharanthus roseus</i> contains a diverse array of metabolites with potential polypharmacological properties. <b>Methods</b>: We curated 318 <i>Catharanthus roseus</i> metabolites and performed structure-based virtual screening against five CNS targets, namely BACE1, AChE, MAO-B, NMDAR, and D1, using target-specific positive controls. Cross-target intersection ranking nominated three hits. We assessed dynamic stability by 200 ns all-atom molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) and MM/PBSA; ADMET-AI profiled CNS-relevant properties. <b>Results</b>: The three metabolites (PubChem CIDs 485711, 56964592, and 162963996) repeatedly ranked among top binders across targets. All five protein-ligand complexes reached stable MD plateaus (RMSD < ~0.30 nm) with sustained key interactions; BACE1 and AChE showed the highest contact persistence and most favorable ΔG_total/ligand-efficiency. <b>Conclusions</b>: Convergent docking, MDS, and MM/PBSA support these metabolites as tractable multi-target leads, with BACE1/AChE prioritized for enzyme-level validation and the remaining targets for follow-up studies.

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Publication Details

Journal
Pharmaceuticals
Published
2025-11-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ph18111734
Primary Topic
Cholinesterase and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Catharanthus roseus Phytochemicals as Multi-Target Modulators of Disability-Linked Neurodegeneration: Bio-Computational Insights

Varish Ahmad, Ali Alharbi, Qazi Mohammad Sajid Jamal, Khurshid Ahmad
Pharmaceuticals
Cholinesterase and Neurodegenerative Diseases
article

Catharanthus roseus Phytochemicals as Multi-Target Modulators of Disability-Linked Neurodegeneration: Bio-Computational Insights

Varish Ahmad, Ali Alharbi, Qazi Mohammad Sajid Jamal, Khurshid Ahmad
article en

Abstract

<b>Background</b>: Disability-linked neurodegeneration involves cholinergic dysfunction, amyloidogenesis, glutamatergic excitotoxicity, and dopaminergic imbalance, highlighting the need for multi-target modulation. <i>Catharanthus roseus</i> contains a diverse array of metabolites with potential polypharmacological properties. <b>Methods</b>: We curated 318 <i>Catharanthus roseus</i> metabolites and performed structure-based virtual screening against five CNS targets, namely BACE1, AChE, MAO-B, NMDAR, and D1, using target-specific positive controls. Cross-target intersection ranking nominated three hits. We assessed dynamic stability by 200 ns all-atom molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) and MM/PBSA; ADMET-AI profiled CNS-relevant properties. <b>Results</b>: The three metabolites (PubChem CIDs 485711, 56964592, and 162963996) repeatedly ranked among top binders across targets. All five protein-ligand complexes reached stable MD plateaus (RMSD < ~0.30 nm) with sustained key interactions; BACE1 and AChE showed the highest contact persistence and most favorable ΔG_total/ligand-efficiency. <b>Conclusions</b>: Convergent docking, MDS, and MM/PBSA support these metabolites as tractable multi-target leads, with BACE1/AChE prioritized for enzyme-level validation and the remaining targets for follow-up studies.

PharmaceuticalsVol. 18(11)
Qassim University (SA), King Abdulaziz University (SA), King Salman Center for Disability Research (SA)
Openalex Percentile: Top 62%
Cholinesterase and Neurodegenerative Diseases
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