ObjectiveTo explore the anti-inflammatory phytoconstituents from various plant sources as tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-inhibitor, a mediator involved in the inflammatory disorder, by in silico molecular docking.

MethodsBased on previous findings, we performed the in silico assessment of anti-inflammatory phytoconstituents from different medicinal plants to understand their binding patterns against TNF-α (PDB ID: 6OP0) using AutoDock Vina. Molecular docking was performed by setting a grid box (25 × 25 × 25) Å centered at – 12.817 × (– 1.618) × 19.009 Å with 0.375 Å of grid spacing. Furthermore, Discovery Studio Client 2020 program was utilized to assess two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) hydrogen-bond interactions concerning an amino acid of target and ligand. Physicochemical properties were reported using the Lipinski’s rule and SwissADME database to support the in silico findings.

ResultsFrom the selected medicinal plants, more than 200 phytocompounds were screened against TNF-α protein with binding scores in the range of – 12.3 to – 2.5 kcal/mol. Amongst them, emodin, aloe-emodin, pongamol, purpuritenin, semiglabrin, ellagic acid, imperatorin, α-tocopherol, and octanorcucurbitacin A showed good binding affinity as – 10.6, – 10.0, – 10.5, – 10.1, – 11.2, – 10.3, – 10.1, – 10.1, and – 10.0 kcal/mol, respectively. Also, the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicology (ADMET) profiles were well within acceptable limits.

ConclusionBased on our preliminary findings, we conclude that the selected phytoconstituents have the potential to be good anti-inflammatory candidates by inhibiting the TNF-α target. These compounds can be further optimized and validated as new therapeutic components to develop more effective and safe anti-inflammatory drugs.