Research Article
Uncovering Gene Targets Modulated by Withania somnifera Phytochemicals for Alzheimer’s Disease Intervention Using Network Pharmacology Approaches
Issue:
Volume 12, Issue 3, September 2026
Pages:
44-57
Received:
5 August 2026
Accepted:
20 August 2026
Published:
22 September 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.bs.20261203.11
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Views:
Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurological disorder characterized by progressive memory loss, cognitive decline, and neuronal degeneration. The pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves amyloid-beta buildup, tau hyperphosphorylation, oxidative stress, making the development of effective therapies challenging. This highlights the need for multi-target neuroprotective medicines. As a result, it is very important to quickly find natural bioactive compounds. Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), has exhibited notable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. We collected 65 phytochemicals and examined 49 of them based on ADMET characteristics. We collected gene targets for these chemicals (8,964) and AD-related genes (15,293) from separate databases. A comparison investigation revealed 920 overlapping genes. We detected 13 hub genes using Cytoscape for topological analysis: TP53, SRC, AKT1, HSP90AA1, EGFR, IL6, MAPK1, MAPK3, JUN, ESR1, BCL2, HSP90AB1, and GNAI1. After then, STRING was used to create networks of protein-protein interactions (PPIs). Network pharmacology demonstrated that the 13 hub genes are significantly associated with the regulation of apoptosis, MAPK signaling, PI3K-AKT signaling, and neuroinflammation. Docking studies revealed that significant phytochemicals like as Somniferine, Withaferin A, and Withanolide O have considerable binding affinity to hub proteins including AKT1, JUN, and HSP90AA1. This research on integrative network pharmacology and molecular docking demonstrates the potential application of W. Somnifera phytochemicals for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurological disorder characterized by progressive memory loss, cognitive decline, and neuronal degeneration. The pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves amyloid-beta buildup, tau hyperphosphorylation, oxidative stress, making the development of effective therapies challenging. This highlights the need for...
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,
Abdullah Al Nafiz
