Computational Studies of <scp> <i>Satureja hortensis</i> </scp> Phytochemicals as Inhibitors of <scp>AP</scp> ‐1 ( <scp>FOS</scp> / <scp>JUN</scp> ) Activation in Valproic Acid Teratogenicity

BACKGROUND: Valproic acid (VPA) is a widely used antiepileptic drug and known teratogen that induces developmental defects in part via aberrant activation of the AP-1 (c-Fos/c-Jun) transcription factor pathway. We investigated whether phytochemicals from Satureja hortensis L. (summer savory) can modulate this pathway. METHODS: In this study, we employed structure-based computational methods to screen phytoconstituents of S. hortensis against the AP-1 (Fos/Jun) transcription factor. RESULTS: Molecular docking predicted that the top ligands, cedrelanol and allo-aromadendrene, bound the DNA-bound AP-1 complex (1FOS) with affinities of -7.7 kcal/mol each, exceeding the -7.3 kcal/mol affinity of the reference inhibitor SR11302. Subsequent 100-ns molecular dynamics simulation of the cedrelanol-1FOS complex confirmed stable binding the protein backbone RMSD remained between 0.8-1.2 Å and the ligand RMSD stayed below 1.3 Å throughout the trajectory. MM/GBSA binding free energy analysis further indicated a highly favorable ΔG_binding of -75.04 kcal/mol for the cedrelanol-1FOS complex. CONCLUSION: These integrated results highlight cedrelanol as a potent AP-1 modulator, providing a molecular basis for exploring S. hortensis terpenoids to mitigate VPA-induced teratogenic AP-1 hyperactivation. These findings suggest that S. hortensis phytochemicals as plausible inhibitors of AP-1, with potential implications for developing plant-derived agents to mitigate VPA teratogenicity.