In Vitro and In Silico Approaches to Exploring the Potential Therapeutic Effects of Curcuma amada Rhizome Essential...

Curcuma amada (mango ginger) is a medicinal herb valued for its traditional uses and pharmacological properties. This study investigates the essential oil (EO) from C. amada rhizome (Curcuma amada rhizome EO [CAREO]), highlighting its anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities through in vitro and in silico methods. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed that CAREO is rich in monoterpenoids (66.69%) and sesquiterpenes (29.04%), with camphor (52.48%) as the major constituent. Molecular docking revealed strong binding affinities (-4.4 to -9.0 kcal/mol) with different protein targets. CAREO demonstrated superior IC₅₀ values in anti-diabetic (21.03 µg/mL) and anti-inflammatory (21.67 µg/mL) assays compared to standard drugs. It also exhibited significant anti-microbial effects, with different inhibition zones of 15, 18, and 19 mm against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, and Aspergillus niger at 500 µg/mL, respectively. Meanwhile, genotoxicity assays yielded negative results, indicating no toxicity. The present work highlights that the anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities stand out prominently, as demonstrated by both in vitro and in silico studies. This research emphasizes the pharmacological importance of compounds identified in CAREO, highlighting their potential medical applications and social benefits.