Screening of Phytochemicals for Potential Breast Cancer Targets BRCA1 and BARD1: A Network Pharmacology Approach

Abstract

Phytochemicals such as betulinic acid, camptothecin, curcumin, etoposide, indirubins, flavopiridol, rohitukine, podophyllotoxin, resveratrol, taxol, vinblastine, and vincristine, have been well known as anti-cancer agents. The current study focuses on the efficacy of the phytochemicals from north east region of India for their potential against breast cancer Phytochemicals reported in North East India Medicinal Plant Database (NEIMPDB) were chosen against the BRCA1 and BARD1 proteins which are implicated in human breast canceraclurin, a phytophenol phytochemical known for its antioxidant activity was identified as a top scoring phytochemical in the screening of both BRCA1 and BARD1 proteins. The traditional practices of these plants revealed the use of Ricinis communis in the treatment of glandular cancer. Further, the network pharmacology and gene enrichment analysis were also performed for the target genes of top phytochemicals res with Cytoscape to highlight the constituent target gene in diseases pathways. Eight (8) phytochemicals namely Acteoside (Barleria cristata), Anthraquinones Emodin (Stellaria media), L-(+)-Quercitol (Aloe barbadensis), Maclurin (Ricinus communis), Myoinositol (Dioscorea sp.), Neoisoastilbin (Goniothalamus sesquipedalis), Okanin (Urtica magellanica), and Plantamajoside (Coccinia grandis) were identified as the compounds with the most number of breast cancer target genes.