Multifunctional properties of Phlomis aurea extracts: In-vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, potent repellency against two mosquito vectors and molecular docking studies

Abstract

To develop economically viable and environmentally benign methodologies for organic reactions and reveal the practical utility of transitional natural compounds and their derivatives. In addition, a new research method to conduct docking studies against nuclear factors sheds light on the theoretical mechanism of action of Phlomis aurea extracts as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and repellent. The pharmacological potential of Phlomis aurea is investigated in this research by analysing its aqueous and petroleum ether extracts. So, to evaluate antioxidant activity, the DPPH scavenging test was used and compared against ascorbic acid; aqueous extract showed noteworthy activity. Both extracts demonstrated noteworthy efficacy against various pathogens, such as Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. The anti-cancer activity was also assessed using in-vitro assay on a standard cell line (Wi38) and two cancer cell lines (MDA and HepG2). The sensitivity of starving female An. pharoensis to the studied extracts was higher than that of Cx. pipiens, suggesting that these extracts may have potential applications in vector control. Docking study against nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2) (PDB ID: 3wn7), topoisomerase IV (PDB ID: 7lhz), COX protein (PDB ID: 6y3c), and Odorant Binding Protein 7 (OBP7) (PDB ID: 3r1o), to shed light on the theoretical mechanism expected as anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-cancer and repellent effects against mosquitoes respectively, for galic acid as most significantly quantifying compounds on both extracts; highlighting the predicted mechanism of the proposed in-vitro assay, and confirming the present result.