BIOACTIVITY-GUIDED FRACTIONATION, MOLECULAR DOCKING, AND GASTROPROTECTIVE EVALUATION OF MIMOSA PUDICA AGAINST EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED GASTRIC ULCERS

Abstract

Peptic ulcers are a common disease that occurs due to an imbalance between aggressive factors like hydrochloric acid, pepsin, oxidation, alcohol, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and H.pylori bacteria and defensive factors like mucus formation, bicarbonate, prostaglandins, and antioxidants. The current study evaluates the gastroprotective activity of Mimosa pudica by conducting a phytochemical screening, antioxidant analysis, antimicrobial assay, molecular docking studies, and in-vivo antiulcer tests. Various extracts of Mimosa pudica have been made; however, methanolic extract of Mimosa pudica (MEMP) showed remarkable bioactivity. The preliminary phytochemical study was positive for flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, phenolics, terpenoids, steroids, and saponins. Three phytochemical spots of MEMP with Rf values of 0.95, 0.71, and 0.52 were seen on the TLC plate. The scavenging activity of MEMP in DPPH was 67.67±1.95% at 200 μg/ml concentration, while BEMP in hydrogen peroxide showed 58.69±0.23%. The quantitative phytochemical analysis of MEMP gave phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and alkaloids of 2.45±0.54mg/10. Antimicrobial screening showed that there was significant antibacterial action with a maximum inhibition zone of 25mm on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Docking studies for the drug molecule with the target protein of Gastric H+, K+-ATPase (PDB ID: 2XZB) showed significant binding activity of Mimosine (-8.2 kcal/mol), Quercetin (-7.6 kcal/mol) and Luteolin (-7.6 kcal/mol), compared to Ranitidine (-5.4 kcal/mol). Anti-ulcer screening of MEMP showed that at a dose of 500 mg/kg, it showed significant anti-ulcer activity by reducing the ulcer index and also offering significant ulcer protection with 55.60%, 64.50%, and 65.23% protection in pyloric ligation, aspirin-induced and ethanol-induced ulcers, respectively. Histopathological studies also confirmed significant gastric mucosal

protection.