Exploring Urtica dioica L. as a Promising Alternative Therapy for Obesity-Related Breast Cancer: Insights from...

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Molecular Biology
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Obesity and associated breast cancer present significant global health challenges.
• Current treatments necessitate exploration of alternative therapeutic strategies.
• Urtica dioica L. (U. dioica) exhibits antioxidant, anticancer, and lipid-lowering properties, positioning it as a potential therapeutic agent.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of U. dioica.
• To evaluate the impact of U. dioica on gene expression related to lipid metabolism, cancer susceptibility, and inflammation.
• To assess the binding affinities of U. dioica components with target proteins using molecular docking.

Main Methods:

• Gene expression analysis was performed to determine the molecular effects of U. dioica.
• In silico molecular docking studies were conducted to predict interactions between U. dioica constituents and target proteins.
• In vitro and in silico approaches were integrated to validate findings.

Main Results:

• U. dioica significantly suppressed the expression of key genes including Brca1, Brca2, Fas, Lpl, Dgat1, and Mcp1.
• Significant alterations in lipid metabolism, cancer susceptibility, and inflammatory pathways were observed.
• Molecular docking revealed strong binding affinities between U. dioica compounds (e.g., Isorhamnetin rutinoside, Quercetin acetyl rutinoside, Apigenin hexoside) and target proteins (Dgat1, Fas, Lpl, Mcp1).

Conclusions:

• U. dioica demonstrates significant gene expression regulatory effects relevant to obesity and breast cancer.
• Its constituents show potential for targeted protein interactions, supporting its therapeutic efficacy.
• U. dioica emerges as a promising candidate for alternative treatments, warranting further clinical investigation.