Phytoconstituents of Chloranthus elatior as a potential adjunct in the treatment of anxiety disorders: In vivo and in silico approaches

Umme Tabassum Arobi Katha; Yesmin Begum; Md Golam Mortuza; Sayma Sharmin; Md Rafiquzzaman; Suvro Biswas; Md Abu Saleh

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40728

Phytoconstituents of Chloranthus elatior as a potential adjunct in the treatment of anxiety disorders: In vivo and in silico approaches

Heliyon. 2024 Nov 28;10(23):e40728. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40728. eCollection 2024 Dec 15.

Authors

Umme Tabassum Arobi Katha¹, Yesmin Begum¹, Md Golam Mortuza², Sayma Sharmin¹, Md Rafiquzzaman³, Suvro Biswas⁴, Md Abu Saleh⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pharmacy, Southeast University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
² Department of Science and Humanities, Bangladesh Army International University of Science and Technology, Cumilla, 3500, Bangladesh.
³ Department of Pharmacy, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
⁴ Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh.

Abstract

Traditional plants have played a vital role in civilization and medicine throughout history. Chloranthus elatior, a plant used in South Asian traditional medicine, has various medicinal applications but limited research on its impact on the central nervous system (CNS). This study analyzed the methanolic leaf extract of Chloranthus elatior (MECE) for secondary metabolites and conducted experiments to evaluate the sedative, and anxiolytic effect of MECE on a mice model. To assess anxiolytic effects, elevated plus maze (EPM) and light-dark box (LDB) tests were performed. Sedative effects were explored in open field and hole-cross tests. Additionally, in silico investigations included molecular docking and ADME/T property assessments for 40 secondary metabolites. The phytochemical analysis of MECE revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, and glycosides. MECE exhibited significant anxiolytic effects in both the EPM and LDB tests, with statistical significance (P < 0.001). The open field and hole-cross tests demonstrated significant sedative potential (P < 0.05) compared to the standard Diazepam. Furthermore, molecular docking was performed to evaluate the potential of the compounds with a potassium channel protein. Among them, Chloramultilide C, 4-dimethoxyflavanone, and Neolitacumone B were identified as potential against the target protein with a binding score of -8.8 kcal/mol, -6.5 kcal/mol, and -6.4 kcal/mol, respectively. Additionally, pharmacokinetic attributes and ADMET analysis emphasized promising properties for drug development. These findings suggest that MECE possesses sedative and anxiolytic properties that could be valuable for addressing insomnia and anxiety associated with various psychiatric disorders.

Keywords: Anxiolytic; Chloranthus elatior; Docking and ADMET; Phytochemical; Sedative.