Exploring the Potential of Ferulic Acid as an Antidiabetic Compound - An insight on In Vitro and In Silico Validation

Ferulic acid, an anti-oxidant phytochemical present in several dietary components, is known to produce wide range of pharmacological effects. The current research relies on in vitro and in silico strategies to firmly reveal the antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties of ferulic acid that comes from Enicostema axillare. Interrelating the insilico pharmacokinetics and toxicity assessment of ferulic acid was studied. In vitro antioxidant assays, yielding IC50 values of 24.90, 83.2, 67.74, and 61.29 µg/ml for ABTS, FRAP, H2O2, and DPPH radicals, respectively. Ferulic acid had the highest inhibitory efficacy against α-amylase and α-glucosidase, with IC50 values of 74.51 and 73.51 mg/ml, respectively. The IC50 values of 74.80 and 74.78 mg/ml correspond to those of acarbose. Molecular docking studies indicated the ferulic acid as a potential antidiabetic drugs against the seven target proteins. The molecular docking study revealed a favourable binding energy of contact for ferulic acid, Significant interaction with 3CTT (-7.3 kcal/mol), followed by 2ZJ3 (-6.8 kcal/mol), 2Q5S (-6.5 kcal/mol), and 2HWS (-6.4 kcal/mol). The outcomes of this research clearly demonstrate that ferulic acid is an effective therapeutic agent against diabetes treatment.