Exploring the therapeutic potential of Pongamia pinnata plant extract against skin cancer: In-silico and in-vitro study

J Ethnopharmacol. 2025 Jan 30;337(Pt 3):118964. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118964. Epub 2024 Oct 18.

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Pongamia pinnata Linn belonging to the Fabaceae family, holds significance as a crucial remedy in herbal medicine.

Aim of the study: The present study aims to determine the anticancer and antioxidant properties of the plant extract.

Material and methods: The methodology includes extraction of the leaf sample by soxhlet method followed by the phytochemical analysis of leaf extract. Through in-silico approach three anti-cancer receptors were analyzed with 10 ligands which were studied using molecular docking and molecular simulation approach. The prediction outcome of in-silico tests on the petroleum ether plant extract served as a foundation for the subsequent in-vitro studies. Phytochemical profiling of plant extracts using GC-MS analysis, and cytotoxicity testing for A431 skin cell line using MTT Assay.

Results: The binding affinity of Pongamia pinnata as an anti-cancer agent with respect to the targets EGF, EGFR, ERBB2 was evident. In the in-silico studies, the highest binding affinity with respect to the docked complexes were -8.2 kcal/mol for EGF with Pazopanib, -8.3 kcal/mol for EGFR with pongachromene, -9.5 kcal/mol for ERBB2 with Vitexin. Further these complexes were assessed by molecular simulations and it confirms the stability of these complexes. In in-vitro studies the HPLC results indicated the presence of 0.176 ± 0.001 mg/mL of phenols and 0.159 ± 0.001 mg/mL of flavonoids. The IC50 value was 1.051 which revealed the antioxidant potential. The cytotoxicity studies against the A431 skin cancer cell resulted in an IC50 concentration of 89.59 μg/ml.

Conclusions: These studies show that P. pinnata has the properties to serve as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of skin tumors. The molecular simulation studies approach is a predictor for drug discovery, acting as a basis for testing anti-cancer activity against the skin tumor. As a result, it can be a useful source of crude drug for the treatment of melanomas.

Keywords: Anticancer; Antioxidant; Molecular docking; Molecular simulations; Pongamia pinnata.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic* / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic* / isolation & purification
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic* / pharmacology
  • Antioxidants* / chemistry
  • Antioxidants* / isolation & purification
  • Antioxidants* / pharmacology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Computer Simulation
  • Humans
  • Millettia* / chemistry
  • Molecular Docking Simulation*
  • Phytochemicals / chemistry
  • Phytochemicals / isolation & purification
  • Phytochemicals / pharmacology
  • Plant Extracts* / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts* / pharmacology
  • Plant Leaves / chemistry
  • Skin Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Skin Neoplasms* / pathology

Substances

  • Plant Extracts
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Antioxidants
  • Phytochemicals