Mechanistic Insights into Biological Activities of Polyphenolic Compounds from Rosemary Obtained by Inverse Molecular Docking

Rosemary (<i>Rosmarinus officinalis</i> L.) represents a medicinal plant known for its various health-promoting properties. Its extracts and essential oils exhibit antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, and antimicrobial activities. The main compounds responsible for these e...

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Main Authors: Samo Lešnik, Urban Bren
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-12-01
Series:Foods
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/11/1/67
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author Samo Lešnik
Urban Bren
author_facet Samo Lešnik
Urban Bren
author_sort Samo Lešnik
collection DOAJ
description Rosemary (<i>Rosmarinus officinalis</i> L.) represents a medicinal plant known for its various health-promoting properties. Its extracts and essential oils exhibit antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, and antimicrobial activities. The main compounds responsible for these effects are the diterpenes carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmanol, as well as the phenolic acid ester rosmarinic acid. However, surprisingly little is known about the molecular mechanisms responsible for the pharmacological activities of rosemary and its compounds. To discern these mechanisms, we performed a large-scale inverse molecular docking study to identify their potential protein targets. Listed compounds were separately docked into predicted binding sites of all non-redundant holo proteins from the Protein Data Bank and those with the top scores were further examined. We focused on proteins directly related to human health, including human and mammalian proteins as well as proteins from pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and parasites. The observed interactions of rosemary compounds indeed confirm the beforementioned activities, whereas we also identified their potential for anticoagulant and antiparasitic actions. The obtained results were carefully checked against the existing experimental findings from the scientific literature as well as further validated using both redocking procedures and retrospective metrics.
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spelling doaj.art-26f8396527974149b197a3b21be03ff52023-11-23T11:30:56ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582021-12-011116710.3390/foods11010067Mechanistic Insights into Biological Activities of Polyphenolic Compounds from Rosemary Obtained by Inverse Molecular DockingSamo Lešnik0Urban Bren1Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Thermodynamics, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, SI-2000 Maribor, SloveniaLaboratory of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Thermodynamics, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, SI-2000 Maribor, SloveniaRosemary (<i>Rosmarinus officinalis</i> L.) represents a medicinal plant known for its various health-promoting properties. Its extracts and essential oils exhibit antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, and antimicrobial activities. The main compounds responsible for these effects are the diterpenes carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmanol, as well as the phenolic acid ester rosmarinic acid. However, surprisingly little is known about the molecular mechanisms responsible for the pharmacological activities of rosemary and its compounds. To discern these mechanisms, we performed a large-scale inverse molecular docking study to identify their potential protein targets. Listed compounds were separately docked into predicted binding sites of all non-redundant holo proteins from the Protein Data Bank and those with the top scores were further examined. We focused on proteins directly related to human health, including human and mammalian proteins as well as proteins from pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and parasites. The observed interactions of rosemary compounds indeed confirm the beforementioned activities, whereas we also identified their potential for anticoagulant and antiparasitic actions. The obtained results were carefully checked against the existing experimental findings from the scientific literature as well as further validated using both redocking procedures and retrospective metrics.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/11/1/67rosemaryinverse molecular dockingcarnosolcarnosic acidrosmanolrosmarinic acid
spellingShingle Samo Lešnik
Urban Bren
Mechanistic Insights into Biological Activities of Polyphenolic Compounds from Rosemary Obtained by Inverse Molecular Docking
Foods
rosemary
inverse molecular docking
carnosol
carnosic acid
rosmanol
rosmarinic acid
title Mechanistic Insights into Biological Activities of Polyphenolic Compounds from Rosemary Obtained by Inverse Molecular Docking
title_full Mechanistic Insights into Biological Activities of Polyphenolic Compounds from Rosemary Obtained by Inverse Molecular Docking
title_fullStr Mechanistic Insights into Biological Activities of Polyphenolic Compounds from Rosemary Obtained by Inverse Molecular Docking
title_full_unstemmed Mechanistic Insights into Biological Activities of Polyphenolic Compounds from Rosemary Obtained by Inverse Molecular Docking
title_short Mechanistic Insights into Biological Activities of Polyphenolic Compounds from Rosemary Obtained by Inverse Molecular Docking
title_sort mechanistic insights into biological activities of polyphenolic compounds from rosemary obtained by inverse molecular docking
topic rosemary
inverse molecular docking
carnosol
carnosic acid
rosmanol
rosmarinic acid
url https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/11/1/67
work_keys_str_mv AT samolesnik mechanisticinsightsintobiologicalactivitiesofpolyphenoliccompoundsfromrosemaryobtainedbyinversemoleculardocking
AT urbanbren mechanisticinsightsintobiologicalactivitiesofpolyphenoliccompoundsfromrosemaryobtainedbyinversemoleculardocking