In Silico Exploration and Experimental Validation of Camellia sinensis Extract against Rhipicephalus microplus and Sarcoptes scabiei: An Integrated Approach

Sarcoptes scabiei is an ectoparasite of humans and animals that causes scabies. The Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus is a blood-sucking ectoparasite that transmits various pathogens. These two parasites have caused great losses to a country’s dairy and agriculture sectors. The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro and in silico efficacy of Camellia sinensis plant extracts. Different concentrations of C. sinensis ethanolic plant extracts were prepared using the maceration method and were used against mites and ticks (in adult immersion test AIT and larval packet test LPT) to evaluate their in vitro acaricidal activity. Additionally, in silico molecular docking was performed to investigate the inhibitory interactions between the phytochemicals of the plant and S. scabiei and R. microplus glutathione transferase proteins (SsGST and RmGST). This study observed that the plant extract showed high efficacy in vitro against mites and different tick stages in adult immersion and larval packet tests. Additionally, the in silico study revealed a strong binding interaction between ellagic acid and SsGST protein, with a binding energy of −7.3 kcal/mol, with respect to permethrin (−6.7 kcal/mol), whereas quercetin and RmGST resulted in a docking score of −8.6 kcal/mol compared to deltamethrin (−8.2 kcal/mol). Overall, this study explored the potential of C. sinensis as a natural alternative for controlling tick and mite infestations and provided insights into the inhibitory mechanisms of its phytochemicals.