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Integrating In Vivo Model, Molecular Docking and Network Pharmacology to Determine the Mechanism of Theobroma cacao Seed in Treatment of Diarrheal

Received: 24 January 2023    Accepted: 10 February 2023    Published: 3 March 2023
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Abstract

Theobroma cacao is an economically important tropical-fruit tree where chocolate is obtained, and it is used as traditional medicine worldwide against several diseases. In the present study, in vivo model and computational biology approaches were used to elucidate the potential mechanisms of T. cacao in the treatment of diarrhea. The antidiarrheal and intestinal motility activity was conducted using an animal model induced diarrhea with MgSO4. In addition, an OECD acute oral toxicity test was carried out. Prediction analysis of the bioactive effects of T. cacao against diarrhea symptoms were carried out applying functional enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction, ADME and drug-likeness analysis, and molecular docking. The analysis of the compound-target- pathway-antidiarrheal mechanism relationships was performed in Cytoscape. T. cacao (200 mg/kg) effectively inhibited diarrhea in mice, significantly lowering the diarrheal stools and intestinal motility, without toxicity signs. Gene set enrichment, molecular docking, and network pharmacology revealed 13 T. cacao compounds targeting 12 proteins that regulate 11 signaling pathways related to diarrhea. According to our research results, the T. cacao antidiarrheal effect could be due to the therapeutic action of quercetin, luteolin, and deoxyclovamide compounds on the ABCB1, ABCG2, CYP3A4, EGFR, ERBB2, IL6, SI, and SLC10A2 genes, related to Carbohydrate digestion and absorption, Bladder cancer, Bile secretion and Graft-versus-host disease as the most significant signaling pathways.

Published in Journal of Diseases and Medicinal Plants (Volume 9, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.jdmp.20230901.12
Page(s) 7-20
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Antidiarrheal Effect, Mechanism, Signaling Pathways, Theobroma cacao

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    Maria Fernanda Marin, Jose Guillermo Mejía, Alberto Gabriel Flores, Ana Karla Cuchilla, Miguel Angel Moreno. (2023). Integrating In Vivo Model, Molecular Docking and Network Pharmacology to Determine the Mechanism of Theobroma cacao Seed in Treatment of Diarrheal. Journal of Diseases and Medicinal Plants, 9(1), 7-20. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jdmp.20230901.12

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    Maria Fernanda Marin; Jose Guillermo Mejía; Alberto Gabriel Flores; Ana Karla Cuchilla; Miguel Angel Moreno. Integrating In Vivo Model, Molecular Docking and Network Pharmacology to Determine the Mechanism of Theobroma cacao Seed in Treatment of Diarrheal. J. Dis. Med. Plants 2023, 9(1), 7-20. doi: 10.11648/j.jdmp.20230901.12

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    Maria Fernanda Marin, Jose Guillermo Mejía, Alberto Gabriel Flores, Ana Karla Cuchilla, Miguel Angel Moreno. Integrating In Vivo Model, Molecular Docking and Network Pharmacology to Determine the Mechanism of Theobroma cacao Seed in Treatment of Diarrheal. J Dis Med Plants. 2023;9(1):7-20. doi: 10.11648/j.jdmp.20230901.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.jdmp.20230901.12,
      author = {Maria Fernanda Marin and Jose Guillermo Mejía and Alberto Gabriel Flores and Ana Karla Cuchilla and Miguel Angel Moreno},
      title = {Integrating In Vivo Model, Molecular Docking and Network Pharmacology to Determine the Mechanism of Theobroma cacao Seed in Treatment of Diarrheal},
      journal = {Journal of Diseases and Medicinal Plants},
      volume = {9},
      number = {1},
      pages = {7-20},
      doi = {10.11648/j.jdmp.20230901.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jdmp.20230901.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jdmp.20230901.12},
      abstract = {Theobroma cacao is an economically important tropical-fruit tree where chocolate is obtained, and it is used as traditional medicine worldwide against several diseases. In the present study, in vivo model and computational biology approaches were used to elucidate the potential mechanisms of T. cacao in the treatment of diarrhea. The antidiarrheal and intestinal motility activity was conducted using an animal model induced diarrhea with MgSO4. In addition, an OECD acute oral toxicity test was carried out. Prediction analysis of the bioactive effects of T. cacao against diarrhea symptoms were carried out applying functional enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction, ADME and drug-likeness analysis, and molecular docking. The analysis of the compound-target- pathway-antidiarrheal mechanism relationships was performed in Cytoscape. T. cacao (200 mg/kg) effectively inhibited diarrhea in mice, significantly lowering the diarrheal stools and intestinal motility, without toxicity signs. Gene set enrichment, molecular docking, and network pharmacology revealed 13 T. cacao compounds targeting 12 proteins that regulate 11 signaling pathways related to diarrhea. According to our research results, the T. cacao antidiarrheal effect could be due to the therapeutic action of quercetin, luteolin, and deoxyclovamide compounds on the ABCB1, ABCG2, CYP3A4, EGFR, ERBB2, IL6, SI, and SLC10A2 genes, related to Carbohydrate digestion and absorption, Bladder cancer, Bile secretion and Graft-versus-host disease as the most significant signaling pathways.},
     year = {2023}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Integrating In Vivo Model, Molecular Docking and Network Pharmacology to Determine the Mechanism of Theobroma cacao Seed in Treatment of Diarrheal
    AU  - Maria Fernanda Marin
    AU  - Jose Guillermo Mejía
    AU  - Alberto Gabriel Flores
    AU  - Ana Karla Cuchilla
    AU  - Miguel Angel Moreno
    Y1  - 2023/03/03
    PY  - 2023
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jdmp.20230901.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.jdmp.20230901.12
    T2  - Journal of Diseases and Medicinal Plants
    JF  - Journal of Diseases and Medicinal Plants
    JO  - Journal of Diseases and Medicinal Plants
    SP  - 7
    EP  - 20
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2469-8210
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jdmp.20230901.12
    AB  - Theobroma cacao is an economically important tropical-fruit tree where chocolate is obtained, and it is used as traditional medicine worldwide against several diseases. In the present study, in vivo model and computational biology approaches were used to elucidate the potential mechanisms of T. cacao in the treatment of diarrhea. The antidiarrheal and intestinal motility activity was conducted using an animal model induced diarrhea with MgSO4. In addition, an OECD acute oral toxicity test was carried out. Prediction analysis of the bioactive effects of T. cacao against diarrhea symptoms were carried out applying functional enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction, ADME and drug-likeness analysis, and molecular docking. The analysis of the compound-target- pathway-antidiarrheal mechanism relationships was performed in Cytoscape. T. cacao (200 mg/kg) effectively inhibited diarrhea in mice, significantly lowering the diarrheal stools and intestinal motility, without toxicity signs. Gene set enrichment, molecular docking, and network pharmacology revealed 13 T. cacao compounds targeting 12 proteins that regulate 11 signaling pathways related to diarrhea. According to our research results, the T. cacao antidiarrheal effect could be due to the therapeutic action of quercetin, luteolin, and deoxyclovamide compounds on the ABCB1, ABCG2, CYP3A4, EGFR, ERBB2, IL6, SI, and SLC10A2 genes, related to Carbohydrate digestion and absorption, Bladder cancer, Bile secretion and Graft-versus-host disease as the most significant signaling pathways.
    VL  - 9
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatic, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Alemania

  • Center for Research and Development in Health, University of El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador

  • Biology School, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador

  • National Center for Scientific Research of El Salvador, Ministry of Education Science and Technology, San Salvador, El Salvador

  • Biology School, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador

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