Multi-target mechanism of polyherbal extract to treat diabetic foot ulcer based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) potentially leads to loss of function, infections, hospitalization, lower-extremity amputation, and even death. The potential therapeutic efficacy of a polyherbal candidate named TIP-Heal was identified for treating DFU. TIP-Heal, which stands for Tinospora crispa, Isotoma longiflora, and Piper betle L var nigra, consists of extracts from these three herbs in a ratio of 2:1:1. The Indonesian population commonly uses these herbs due to their wound-healing properties. It is our interest to analyse the mechanism of the polyherbal extract using network pharmacology and molecular docking.

This study uses network pharmacology and molecular docking methods to analyze the multi-target mechanism of active compounds in TIP-Heal extract for DFU treatment. The proteins targeted by the bioactive chemical present in TIP-Heal and DFU were identified within a particular dataset with the keyword “homo sapiens.” The identified target proteins were assessed using gene ontology (GO) analysis, the Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Gene and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, protein-protein interactions (PPIs), and molecular docking.

The critical proteins obtained were AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1), caspase-3 (CASP3), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src (SRC) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). Several compounds, namely PubChem (Compound Identifier=CID: 5319898), 3-epiursolic acid, palmitic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid showed great potential as viable candidates to facilitate the healing process of DFU.

The findings of this study indicate that the TIP-Heal extract has the potential to be used as a natural herbal treatment for DFUs with the involvement of AKT1, CASP3, EFGR, and SRC proteins.