PHYTOCHEMICAL PROFILING AND GC-MS ANALYSIS OF ARTEMISIA NILAGIRICA AN IN SILICO INVESTIGATION AGAINST COLORECTAL CANCER

Artemisia nilagirica (C.B. Clarke) Pamp is a valuable medicinal plant belonging to the Asteraceae family. This study aimed to identify the bioactive compounds in the hydroalcoholic extract derived from its leaves, utilizing Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Phytochemicals, which are naturally occurring compounds in plants, have biological activities that help prevent diseases by scavenging and chelating free radicals. The GC-MS analysis detected 50 different bioactive compounds in the hydroalcoholic leaf extract. Among these, the compounds with the highest efficiency include 2-Propenoic acid, 3-(2- hydroxyphenyl)-(E), Mome Inositol, 3-(2-Hydroxyphenyl) Acrylic Acid, and Androst-4-Ene-3,17-dione. These phytocompounds were subjected to molecular docking analysis with colorectal cancer receptors in an in silico study. Notably 2-Propenoic acid and 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-(E) exhibited a high binding energy of -3.75, indicating their potential as major bioactive molecules in A. nilagirica. Therefore, the isolation and purification of compounds with therapeutic potential from A. nilagirica could provide valuable resources for combating various diseases in both plants and humans.