Mechanistic Insight Hypolipidemic Potential of Ascorbic Acid: In-Silico Molecular Docking

Abstract: Ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, is a crucial part of a balanced diet. The history of vitamin C is intertwined with that of the human ailment scurvy, which was perhaps the first to be identified as a deficiency condition in humans. Its signs include diarrhoea, overall weakness, severe bleeding of the tissues and gums, and tiredness. Ascorbic acid is a water-soluble chemical molecule essential to numerous biological functions. The exact mechanism of action for the lipid lowering action of ascorbic acid was still not revealed. With intent to propose the most probable mechanism of action of ascorbic acid the docking based computational analysis has been performed against the lipid lowering drug targets like ATP citrate lyase enzyme, lanosterol 14α-demethylase enzyme, squalene synthase enzyme, and Niemann Pick C1 like Protein. The docking analysis, chemical interactions, followed by the physicochemical based pharmacokinetic profiling has revealed that the ascorbic acid is executing its lipid lowering action via inhibiting the squalene synthase enzyme.