Ursolic acid from Carissa carandas L. as a multi-target agent against NSCLC: An Integrative in silico and in vitro...

Carissa carandas L. ('Karonda'), a medicinal shrub from the Apocynaceae family, has been traditionally used in Indian ethnomedicine for the treatment of inflammation, infections, and respiratory disorders. Its phytochemically rich extracts have demonstrated diverse pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, and anticancer effects. Ursolic acid (UA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid present in its leaves, has shown promising anti-inflammatory and anticancer potential; however, its mechanistic role in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) remains inadequately defined.

To evaluate the anticancer efficacy and underlying molecular mechanisms of UA, isolated from Carissa carandas leaves, against NSCLC using in vitro and in silico approaches.

UA was isolated through bioassay-guided fractionation and characterized using UV-Visible spectroscopy, FTIR-ATR, HRLCMS, and NMR. It's in vitro anticancer activity against A549 NSCLC cells was assessed by MTT assay, and apoptosis was confirmed using DAPI, acridine orange-ethidium bromide (AO-EtBr), and Giemsa staining. In silico analyses included network pharmacology to identify UA-associated NSCLC targets and pathway enrichment, followed by molecular docking to evaluate binding affinities with key targets. Pharmacokinetic properties were predicted using SwissADME. Gene expression profiling of selected targets was performed by quantitative real-time PCR to validate in silico findings and elucidate the mechanistic pathways.

UA demonstrated significant anticancer activity against A549 cells (IC₅₀: 2.42 ± 0.20 μg/ml), outperforming the standard drug Cisplatin (IC₅₀: 7.305 ± 1.13 μg/ml), and induced characteristic apoptotic features. Network pharmacology identified 98 overlapping targets between UA and NSCLC, with KEGG and GO enrichment indicating involvement in inflammation, cell cycle regulation, metastasis, and hormone signaling pathways. Molecular docking revealed strong interactions of UA with PTGS2, AGTR1, and ESR1. SwissADME analysis predicted favorable oral bioavailability and drug-likeness. qRT-PCR confirmed the downregulation of IL6, PTGS2, MAPK3, MDM2, MMP2, PPARG, and PPARD, along with modulation of hormonal signaling (↓ESR1, ↑ESR2, ↑AGTR1).

UA isolated from Carissa carandas exhibits potent multi-targeted anticancer activity against NSCLC by modulating inflammatory, proliferative, and hormonal pathways. These findings support its therapeutic potential as a plant-derived candidate for lung cancer management.