Establishing network pharmacology between natural polyphenols and Alzheimer’s disease using bioinformatic tools – An advancement in Alzheimer’s research

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major cause of disability and one of the top causes of mortality globally. AD remains a major public health challenge due to its prevalence, impact on patients and caregivers, and the current lack of a cure. In recent years, polyphenols have garnered attention for their potential therapeutic effects on AD. The objective of the study was to establish network pharmacology between selected polyphenols of plant origin and AD. Insilico tools such as SwissADME, ProTox3.0, pkCSM, Swiss Target Prediction, DisGeNET, InterActiVenn, DAVID database, STRING database, Cytoscape/CytoHubba were employed to establish the multi-target potential of the polyphenolic compounds. The present study revealed that out of 17 polyphenols, 10 ligands were found to possess a drug-likeness nature along with desirable pharmacokinetic parameters and a lesser toxicity profile. Also, the results highlighted the possible interactions between the polyphenols and the disease targets involved in AD. Further, this study has shed light on the mTOR pathway and its impact on AD through the autophagic mechanism. Overall, this study indicated that polyphenols could be a better therapeutic option for treating AD. Hence, the consumption of polyphenolic cocktails as a part of the diet could produce more effective outcomes against the disease. Additional studies are warranted in the future to explore additional pathways and genes to provide a comprehensive understanding regarding the usage of the shortlisted polyphenols and their derivatives for the prevention and treatment of AD.

Keywords

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Polyphenols
• Insilico
• Network pharmacology