SWERTIAMARIN FROM ENICOSTEMMA LITTORALE: PHYTOCHEMISTRY, ANTIDIABETIC POTENTIAL, MOLECULAR TARGETS AND PERSPECTIVES FROM IN SILICO DRUG DISCOVERY

Diabetes mellitus is a complex metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycemia resulting from impaired insulin secretion, impaired insulin action, or a combination of both. The increasing prevalence of diabetes and the limitations associated with existing pharmacological therapies have stimulated considerable interest in medicinal plants and their bioactive constituents as sources of novel therapeutic agents. Enicostemma littorale Blume, a medicinal plant belonging to the family Gentianaceae, has traditionally been used in India for the management of diabetes, fever, inflammation, hepatic disorders and other metabolic conditions. Phytochemical investigations have demonstrated the presence of secoiridoid glycosides, flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, saponins, steroids and other secondary metabolites. Among these constituents, swertiamarin, a secoiridoid glycoside, has emerged as an important bioactive and chemotaxonomic marker. Experimental investigations reported in the literature indicate that E. littorale extracts and swertiamarin possess hypoglycemic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory and other pharmacological activities. Swertiamarin has therefore attracted attention as a potential natural lead for antidiabetic drug discovery. In parallel, molecular docking has become an important computational approach for investigating ligand–protein interactions and prioritizing natural compounds against therapeutically relevant targets. Diabetes-related proteins such as α-glucosidase, α-amylase and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) represent important molecular targets because their modulation can influence postprandial glucose regulation and incretin activity. The present review summarizes the botanical and phytochemical characteristics of E. littorale, with particular emphasis on swertiamarin; discusses experimental evidence supporting its antidiabetic and metabolic effects; examines the role of molecular docking in natural-product drug discovery; and highlights the significance of isolating and structurally characterizing swertiamarin before computational evaluation. The integration of pharmacognosy, phytochemical isolation, analytical characterization and structure-based computational investigation may provide a rational strategy for evaluating swertiamarin as a potential antidiabetic lead molecule.