Molecular docking studies of anti-cancerous candidates in Hippophae rhamnoides and Hippophae salicifolia

Actinorhizal plants contain numerous antioxidants that may play a crucial role in preventing the formation of tumors. H-Ras p21, a member of the Ras-GTPase family, is a promising target to treat various kinds of cancers. An in silico docking study was carried out to identify the inhibitory potential of compounds of these plants against H-Ras by using Discovery Studio 3.5 and by using Autodock 4.2. Docking studies revealed that four compounds, isorhamnetin-7-rhamnoside, quercetin-3-glucoside-7-rhamnoside (present in H. rhamnoides), zeaxanthin, and translutein (present in H. salicifolia) significantly bind with binding energies −17.1534, −14.7936, −10.2105 and −17.2217 Kcal/mol, respectively, even though they slightly deviate from Lipinski's rule. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADME/tox) analyses of these compounds and their stereoisomers showed that they were less toxic and non-mutagenic. Amongst them, isorhamntein-7-rhamnoside showed hepatotoxicity. Hence, these compounds can be further investigated in vivo to optimize their formulation and concentration and to develop potential chemical entities for the prevention and treatment of cancers.