Identification of <i>Acanthopanax trifoliatus</i> (L.) Merr as a Novel Potential Therapeutic Agent Against COVID-19 and Pharyngitis
Individuals infected with COVID-19 often experience the distressing discomfort of pharyngitis. Thus, it is crucial to develop novel drugs to improve therapeutic options. In this study, we investigated the interaction between bioactive compounds isolated from <i>Acanthopanax trifoliatus</i&g...
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MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Molecules |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/5/1055 |
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| author | Qi Chen Hui He Yanghong Zhu Xiang Li Junhao Fang Zhexi Li Panghui Liu Lin Zhou Yufang Pan Guoyu Wu |
| author_facet | Qi Chen Hui He Yanghong Zhu Xiang Li Junhao Fang Zhexi Li Panghui Liu Lin Zhou Yufang Pan Guoyu Wu |
| author_sort | Qi Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Individuals infected with COVID-19 often experience the distressing discomfort of pharyngitis. Thus, it is crucial to develop novel drugs to improve therapeutic options. In this study, we investigated the interaction between bioactive compounds isolated from <i>Acanthopanax trifoliatus</i> (L.) Merr and proteins associated with COVID-19 and pharyngitis through in silico analysis. Several molecules demonstrated high affinities to multiple targets, indicating significant potential for alleviating pharyngitis and other COVID-19-related symptoms. Among them, rutin and isochlorogenic acid C, two major components in <i>Acanthopanax trifoliatus</i> (L.) Merr ethanol extracts, were further experimentally demonstrated to exhibit strong inhibitory effects against SARS-CoV-2 and to possess significant anti-inflammatory activities. Inhibition of over 50% in several key genes was observed, demonstrating the efficacy of in silico methods in identifying high-affinity target binders. Our findings provide a theoretical foundation for the development of <i>Acanthopanax trifoliatus</i> (L.) Merr as a novel multi-target therapeutic agent for both COVID-19 and pharyngitis. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c256b76ec6a64a02b7903ec3a4f419d6 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1420-3049 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Molecules |
| spelling | doaj-art-c256b76ec6a64a02b7903ec3a4f419d62025-08-20T02:59:00ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492025-02-01305105510.3390/molecules30051055Identification of <i>Acanthopanax trifoliatus</i> (L.) Merr as a Novel Potential Therapeutic Agent Against COVID-19 and PharyngitisQi Chen0Hui He1Yanghong Zhu2Xiang Li3Junhao Fang4Zhexi Li5Panghui Liu6Lin Zhou7Yufang Pan8Guoyu Wu9School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Biosciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Biosciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaIndividuals infected with COVID-19 often experience the distressing discomfort of pharyngitis. Thus, it is crucial to develop novel drugs to improve therapeutic options. In this study, we investigated the interaction between bioactive compounds isolated from <i>Acanthopanax trifoliatus</i> (L.) Merr and proteins associated with COVID-19 and pharyngitis through in silico analysis. Several molecules demonstrated high affinities to multiple targets, indicating significant potential for alleviating pharyngitis and other COVID-19-related symptoms. Among them, rutin and isochlorogenic acid C, two major components in <i>Acanthopanax trifoliatus</i> (L.) Merr ethanol extracts, were further experimentally demonstrated to exhibit strong inhibitory effects against SARS-CoV-2 and to possess significant anti-inflammatory activities. Inhibition of over 50% in several key genes was observed, demonstrating the efficacy of in silico methods in identifying high-affinity target binders. Our findings provide a theoretical foundation for the development of <i>Acanthopanax trifoliatus</i> (L.) Merr as a novel multi-target therapeutic agent for both COVID-19 and pharyngitis.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/5/1055<i>Acanthopanax trifoliatus</i> (L.) MerrCOVID-19pharyngitisvirtual screeningbinding affinity |
| spellingShingle | Qi Chen Hui He Yanghong Zhu Xiang Li Junhao Fang Zhexi Li Panghui Liu Lin Zhou Yufang Pan Guoyu Wu Identification of <i>Acanthopanax trifoliatus</i> (L.) Merr as a Novel Potential Therapeutic Agent Against COVID-19 and Pharyngitis Molecules <i>Acanthopanax trifoliatus</i> (L.) Merr COVID-19 pharyngitis virtual screening binding affinity |
| title | Identification of <i>Acanthopanax trifoliatus</i> (L.) Merr as a Novel Potential Therapeutic Agent Against COVID-19 and Pharyngitis |
| title_full | Identification of <i>Acanthopanax trifoliatus</i> (L.) Merr as a Novel Potential Therapeutic Agent Against COVID-19 and Pharyngitis |
| title_fullStr | Identification of <i>Acanthopanax trifoliatus</i> (L.) Merr as a Novel Potential Therapeutic Agent Against COVID-19 and Pharyngitis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identification of <i>Acanthopanax trifoliatus</i> (L.) Merr as a Novel Potential Therapeutic Agent Against COVID-19 and Pharyngitis |
| title_short | Identification of <i>Acanthopanax trifoliatus</i> (L.) Merr as a Novel Potential Therapeutic Agent Against COVID-19 and Pharyngitis |
| title_sort | identification of i acanthopanax trifoliatus i l merr as a novel potential therapeutic agent against covid 19 and pharyngitis |
| topic | <i>Acanthopanax trifoliatus</i> (L.) Merr COVID-19 pharyngitis virtual screening binding affinity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/5/1055 |
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