Unravelling the active ingredients and pharmacological effects of Argyriea barbata stem methanol extract: An integrated GC-MS, in vitro, in vivo, and in silico investigation

• MEABS from Argyreia barbata stems exhibit strong anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, antidepressant, and anxiolytic properties. • Strong bioactivity was shown in both in vitro (protein denaturation, worm paralysis) and in vivo (FST, TST, EPM) models, indicating dose-dependent efficacy. • Its medicinal properties are fuelled by its phytochemical richness, which includes phenolics, flavonoids, and alkaloids. • Its potential as a natural substitute for synthetic medications is supported by the fact that it is safe and promising, with no toxicity at 2000 mg/kg. • Piperine and squalene have the potential to act as multi-target ligands. which have demonstrated considerable binding affinities for targets that are related with anxiety, depression, helminth species, and inflammation The Argyreia genus is widely known for its aphrodisiac, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, Argyriea barbata (Wall.) Raizada, a herb belonging to the Convolvulaceae family, has no well-documented therapeutic properties. The methanol extract of A. barbata stems (MEABS) were investigated for its anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, antidepressant and anxiolytic activities. Secondary plant metabolites were identified via qualitative phytochemical screening and Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The SwissADME database was used for ADME/T (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) profiling, while PyRx and PyMOL software were employed for in silico site-specific molecular analysis. The anti-inflammatory activity of MEABS was evaluated via the protein denaturation method, and anthelmintic activity was investigated in tubifes (aquarium worms) , where paralysis and death times were observed. Antidepressant activity was assessed through the forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). The hole board test (HBT) and elevated plus-maze test (EPM) were applied to assess anxiolytic behaviour. Phytochemical screening indicated the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, reducing sugars, proteins and amino acids, glycosides, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, resins, triterpenoids, carboxylic acids, and coumarins were present in MEABS. GC-MS analysis identified 176 phytochemical components spanning a wide range of chemical classes, including phenolic compounds, fatty acid esters, alcohols, alkanes, terpenoids, alkaloids, siloxanes, and sterols. Among these compounds, 22 exhibited a favourable ADME/T profile. Computational analysis demonstrated that piperine and squalene acted as multi-target ligands, displaying significant binding affinities for targets associated with anxiety, depression, helminthiasis, and inflammation. At a concentration of 200 µg/mL, MEABS inhibited 49.77% of egg albumin denaturation, whereas diclofenac sodium achieved an inhibition rate of (61.22 ± 0.39)%. This result confirmed the dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity of MEABS. Additionally, MEABS exerted dose-dependent anthelmintic activity. In the FST and TST, immobility time showed a dose-dependent reduction; three doses of MEABS significantly shortened the immobility time ( P < 0.0001), indicating antidepressant-like effects. MEABS also exhibited significant anxiolytic activity ( P < 0.0001), with the high dose of 400 mg/kg producing an effect comparable to that of the standard drug diazepam. MEABS possesses considerable anti-inflammatory effects, moderate anthelmintic activity, and particularly prominent antidepressant and anxiolytic activity.