Investigation of the Role of Lunasia amara Blanco in the Treatment of Malaria Through Network Pharmacology Analysis

Abstract

IntroductionMalaria has been a health threat for centuries in tropical and subtropical areas of many countries. In these countries, people in rural areas with limited access to primary healthcare rely on traditional plants for their malaria treatment. One of the medicinal plants that has been used for centuries is Lunasia amara. L amara is a plant with an abundance of phytoconstituents that possess promising biological and pharmacological activities. Although this plant has been widely used, scientific evidence regarding the role of its bioactive compounds and pathways in alleviating malaria has not been well-researched. MethodsIn the present study, the role of L amara in treating malaria was analysed and explored using network pharmacology. ResultsThe results demonstrated that the active compounds of Lunasia amara are likely to have favourable pharmacokinetic profiles. These compounds target gene targets associated with malaria. Enrichment analyses performed with gene ontology and pathway analysis demonstrated that L amara alleviates malaria mostly by regulating the immune response. ConclusionsThis study confirms and validates the potential use of L amara for the treatment of malaria.