Screening ligands interacting with NDUFS3 from Oroxylum indicum extract using bioaffinity ultrafiltration combined with in vitro protein purification

Oroxylum indicum (O. indicum) is a common traditional Chinese medicine, but its neuroprotective effects in Parkinson's disease (PD) model have not been fully elaborated. Mitochondrial complex I dysfunction is the core pathology of oxidative stress injury in PD, and the mechanism of regulating the activity of its key subunit NADH: Ubiquinone Oxidoreductase Core Subunit S3 (NDUFS3) has not been clarified. To explore the potential therapeutic effects of O. indicum on PD and reveal the potential active compounds and molecular mechanism of action behind the treatment of PD by O indicum extract (OIE), in the present study, the mitochondrial complex I subunit NDUFS3 was selected as the PD disease target, and a “three-in-one” system combing target purification of NDUFS3 protein, affinity ultrafiltration screening and validation-analysis of molecular mechanism was constructed. Results suggest that the active compounds in O indicum screened by affinity screening can target and regulate the expression of NDUFS3, lower the mitochondrial membrane potential, reduce oxidative stress, and increase the ATP content, thus exerting anti-PD effects at the cellular and animal levels. The integrated approach of protein purification, affinity ultrafiltration screening and pharmacological validation is pivotal for efficiently identifying active compounds and uncovering their mechanisms in anti-PD research, thereby proving a reference for drug discovery of neurodegenerative diseases.