Characterizing the Bioactive Role of Selected Components with Neuroprotective Properties of Two Ethnomedicinal Plants-Acacia catechu and Ficus religiosa

Background: Neuroprotection is a process of recovery and salvage of the nervous system, function, and structure of cells. Several modulators are leading to neuronal damage and cell death, causing many neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, etc. Conventional medicinal therapies like Donepezil and Rivastigmine have a wide range of long-term effects. Acacia catechu and Ficus religiosa are two popularly known plants in herbal medicine. Their primary use is in the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. The present study investigates the beneficial effect of these plants in neuroprotection by in vitro and silico methods. Materials and Methods: We determined aqueous extracts of both A. catechu and F. religiosa for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and acetylcholinesterase activities. The extracts were subjected to Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (LC-MS) analysis. In addition, molecular docking was performed for the inhibitory activity of the five selected ligand components identified from LC-MS analysis against two well-known neuroreceptors [1b41(Acetylcholinesterase) and 2V5Z (Human monoamine oxidase b1)] by AutoDock tools v 1.5.6. 2.7.3. These results and standards Donepezil and selegiline were compared for their binding energy, inhibition constant, and intermolecular energy. Results: Both A. catechu and F. religiosa have shown moderate to high neuroprotective activities in vitro and in silico. Conclusion: The A. catechu and F. religiosa extracts possess remarkable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory potential with potent neuroprotective components. Further studies on combining these two plants into a formulation could benefit neuro-restoration and prevent neuroinflammatory processes.