Uses of Molecular Docking Simulations in Elucidating Synergistic, Additive, and/or Multi-Target (SAM) Effects of Herbal Medicines

The philosophy of herbal medicines is that they contain multiple active components that target many aspects of a given disease. This is in line with the recent multiple-target strategy adopted due to shortcomings with the previous “magic bullet”, single-target strategy. The complexity of biological...

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Main Author: Sean P. Rigby
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Molecules
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/29/22/5406
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author Sean P. Rigby
author_facet Sean P. Rigby
author_sort Sean P. Rigby
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description The philosophy of herbal medicines is that they contain multiple active components that target many aspects of a given disease. This is in line with the recent multiple-target strategy adopted due to shortcomings with the previous “magic bullet”, single-target strategy. The complexity of biological systems means it is often difficult to elucidate the mechanisms of synergistic, additive, and/or multi-target (SAM) effects. However, the use of methodologies employing molecular docking offers some insight into these. The aim of this work was to review the uses of molecular-docking simulations in the detection and/or elucidation of SAM effects with herbal medicines. Molecular docking has revealed the potential for SAM effects with many different, individual herbal medicines. Docking can also improve the fundamental understanding of SAM effects as part of systems biology approaches, such as providing quantitative weightings for the connections within static networks or supplying estimates of kinetic parameters for dynamic metabolic networks. Molecular docking can also be combined with pharmacophore modeling in a hybrid method that greatly improves the efficiency of screening. Overall, molecular docking has been shown to be a highly useful tool to provide evidence for the efficacy of herbal medicines, previously only supported by traditional usage.
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spelling doaj-art-fbccc0256b0d4145ab4df1bccba423e52024-11-26T18:15:52ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492024-11-012922540610.3390/molecules29225406Uses of Molecular Docking Simulations in Elucidating Synergistic, Additive, and/or Multi-Target (SAM) Effects of Herbal MedicinesSean P. Rigby0Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UKThe philosophy of herbal medicines is that they contain multiple active components that target many aspects of a given disease. This is in line with the recent multiple-target strategy adopted due to shortcomings with the previous “magic bullet”, single-target strategy. The complexity of biological systems means it is often difficult to elucidate the mechanisms of synergistic, additive, and/or multi-target (SAM) effects. However, the use of methodologies employing molecular docking offers some insight into these. The aim of this work was to review the uses of molecular-docking simulations in the detection and/or elucidation of SAM effects with herbal medicines. Molecular docking has revealed the potential for SAM effects with many different, individual herbal medicines. Docking can also improve the fundamental understanding of SAM effects as part of systems biology approaches, such as providing quantitative weightings for the connections within static networks or supplying estimates of kinetic parameters for dynamic metabolic networks. Molecular docking can also be combined with pharmacophore modeling in a hybrid method that greatly improves the efficiency of screening. Overall, molecular docking has been shown to be a highly useful tool to provide evidence for the efficacy of herbal medicines, previously only supported by traditional usage.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/29/22/5406molecular dockingsystems biologyherbnetwork
spellingShingle Sean P. Rigby
Uses of Molecular Docking Simulations in Elucidating Synergistic, Additive, and/or Multi-Target (SAM) Effects of Herbal Medicines
Molecules
molecular docking
systems biology
herb
network
title Uses of Molecular Docking Simulations in Elucidating Synergistic, Additive, and/or Multi-Target (SAM) Effects of Herbal Medicines
title_full Uses of Molecular Docking Simulations in Elucidating Synergistic, Additive, and/or Multi-Target (SAM) Effects of Herbal Medicines
title_fullStr Uses of Molecular Docking Simulations in Elucidating Synergistic, Additive, and/or Multi-Target (SAM) Effects of Herbal Medicines
title_full_unstemmed Uses of Molecular Docking Simulations in Elucidating Synergistic, Additive, and/or Multi-Target (SAM) Effects of Herbal Medicines
title_short Uses of Molecular Docking Simulations in Elucidating Synergistic, Additive, and/or Multi-Target (SAM) Effects of Herbal Medicines
title_sort uses of molecular docking simulations in elucidating synergistic additive and or multi target sam effects of herbal medicines
topic molecular docking
systems biology
herb
network
url https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/29/22/5406
work_keys_str_mv AT seanprigby usesofmoleculardockingsimulationsinelucidatingsynergisticadditiveandormultitargetsameffectsofherbalmedicines