Deciphering the Mechanism of Action of Wrightia tinctoria for Psoriasis Based on Systems Pharmacology Approach

Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated disorder of the skin. The disease manifests itself with red or silvery scaly plaques distributing over the lower back, scalp, and extensor aspects of limbs. Several medications are available for the treatment of psoriasis; however, high rates of remission and side-effects still persist as a major concern. Siddha, one of the traditional systems of Indian medicine offers cure to many dermatological conditions, including psoriasis. The oil prepared from the leaves of Wrightia tinctoria is prescribed by many healers for the treatment of psoriasis. This work aims to decipher the mechanism of action of the W. tinctoria in curing psoriasis and its associated comorbidities.

The work integrates various pharmacology approaches such as drug-likeness evaluation, oral bioavailability predictions, and network pharmacology approaches to understand the roles of various bioactive components of the herb.

This work identified 67 compounds of W. tinctoria interacting with 238 protein targets. The compounds were found to act through synergistic mechanism in reviving the disrupted process in the diseased state.

The results of this work not only shed light on the pharmacological action of the herb but also validate the usage of safe herbal drugs.