Molecular Docking Analysis of Flavonoids from Verbascum Species Against Key Antidiabetic Targets: α-Glucosidase and Dipeptidyl Peptidase-IV (DPP-IV)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18321/ectj1686Keywords:
Molecular docking, Diabetes, Flavonoids, Verbascum, EnzymesAbstract
Diabetes is one of the most significant global health challenges. With synthetic drugs causing side effects, researchers are turning to natural alternatives for prevention and treatment. This study used molecular docking to predict the interaction of flavonoids from Verbascum spp. and their affinity for binding to α-glucosidase (3WY1) and DPP-IV (5J3J) enzymes. Binding energies, hydrogen bond interactions, and hydrophobic contacts at the active sites were analyzed. Kaempferide stood out against α-glucosidase with the lowest binding energy (‒5.03 kcal/mol), forming strong hydrogen bonds to GLU231 (1.70 Å), LEU300 (1.95 Å), and ASN301 (2.00 Å). Luteolin 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside showed weaker binding (‒3.37 kcal/mol) with bonds to GLU383 (1.88, 2.29 Å) and TRP394 (2.45 Å). For DPP-IV, luteolin had the best affinity (‒6.01 kcal/mol), creating five hydrogen bonds with GLY335 (1.92, 2.11 Å), SER277 (2.08 Å), TRP337 (2.82 Å), and SER275 (2.99 Å). These results position kaempferide and luteolin as promising candidates for developing natural antidiabetic agents from Verbascum species.
References
(1) American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee; 2. Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes: Standards of Care in Diabetes–2025. Diabetes Care 1 January 2025; 48 (Supplement_1): S27–S49. Crossref
(2) World Health Organization, Diabetes – WHO Fact Sheet, World Health Organization (2025). Available at: URL (Accessed: 30.09.2025).
(3) International Diabetes Federation, The Diabetes Atlas, (2025). Available at: URL (Accessed: 30.09.2025).
(4) O.I. Aruoma, V.S. Neergheen, T. Bahorun, L-S. Jen, Free radicals, antioxidants and diabetes: Embryopathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy and cardiovascular complications, Neuroembryology Aging 4 (2007) 117–137. Crossref
(5) A. Ceriello, Postprandial hyperglycemia and diabetes complications: is it time to treat? Diabetes 54 (2005) 1–7. Crossref
(6) K. Nakamura, H. Oe, H. Kihara, et al., DPP-4 inhibitor and alpha-glucosidase inhibitor equally improve endothelial function in patients with type 2 diabetes: EDGE study, Cardiovasc. Diabetol. 13 (2014) 110. Crossref
(7) S. Yagi, N. Nilofar, A.I. Uba, et al., Elucidating the chemical profile and biological studies of Verbascum diversifolium Hochst. extracts, Front. Pharmacol. 15 (2024). Crossref
(8) X. Dong, E.M. Mkala, E.S. Mutinda, et al., Taxonomy, comparative genomics of Mullein (Verbascum, Scrophulariaceae), with implications for the evolution of Verbascum and Lamiales, BMC Genomics 23 (2022) 566. Crossref
(9) F. Mungan Kılıç, Pollen and seed morphology as taxonomic markers in Verbascum taxa based on herbarium specimens of MARIUM, Diversity 16 (2024) 443. Crossref
(10) WFO, Verbascum L. World Flora Online (2025). Available at: URL (Accessed: 30.09.2025).
(11) J.S. Matejić, A.V. Dragićević, M.S. Jovanović, et al., Plant products for musculoskeletal, respiratory, circulatory, and genitourinary disorders in Eastern and South-Eastern Serbia–folk uses comparison with official recommendations, Rec. Nat. Prod. 18 (2024) 1–52. Crossref
(12) B. Dereje, A. Nardos, J. Abdela, et al., Antidiabetic activities of 80% methanol extract and solvent fractions of Verbascum sinaiticum Benth (Scrophulariaceae) leaves in mice, J. Exp. Pharmacol. 15 (2023) 423–436. Crossref
(13) W. Khan, M.A. Khan, B. Khan, et al., Evaluation of antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic effects of methanolic extract of Verbascum thapsus in alloxan-induced diabetic albino mice, Pak. J. Weed Sci. Res. 29 (2023) 1–8. URL
(14) M.M. Nykmukanova, B.K. Eskalieva, G.Sh. Burasheva, et al., Iridoids from Verbascum marschallianum, Chem. Nat. Compd. 53 (2017) 580–581. Crossref
(15) M.M. Nykmukanova, Zh.B. Mukazhanova, K. Kabdysalym, et al., Flavonoids from Verbascum marschallianum and V. orientale, Chem. Nat. Compd. 55 (2019) 937–938. Crossref
(16) B. Ozcan, M. Yilmaz, M. Caliskan, Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of various extracts of Verbascum antiochium Boiss. (Scrophulariaceae), J. Med. Food 13 (2010). Crossref
(17) L. Speranza, S. Franceschelli, M. Pesce, et al., Antiinflammatory effects in THP-1 cells treated with verbascoside, Phytother. Res. 24 (2010) 1398–1404. Crossref
(18) J. Pan, Q. Zhang, C. Zhang, et al., Inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 by flavonoids: Structure–activity relationship, kinetics and interaction mechanism, Front. Nutr. 9 (2022) 892426. Crossref
(19) H. Kondo, K.J. Fujimoto, S. Tanaka, et al., Theoretical prediction and experimental verification on enantioselectivity of haloacid dehalogenase l-DEX YL with chloropropionate, Chem. Phys. Lett. 623 (2015) 101–107. Crossref
(20) A. Bhatia, B. Singh, R. Arora, et al., In vitro evaluation of the α-glucosidase inhibitory potential of methanolic extracts of traditionally used antidiabetic plants, BMC Complement. Altern. Med. 19 (2019) 74. Crossref
(21) A. Sadiq, U. Rashid, S. Ahmad, et al., Treating hyperglycemia from Eryngium caeruleum M. Bieb: In-vitro α-glucosidase, antioxidant, in-vivo antidiabetic and molecular docking-based approaches, Front. Chem. 8 (2020) 558641. Crossref
(22) J.M. Berg, J.L. Tymoczko, G.J. Gatto, L. Stryer, Biochemistry, 9th ed., W.H. Freeman, Macmillan Learning, New York (2019). Crossref
(23) P.K. Thallapally, A. Nangia, A Cambridge Structural Database analysis of the C–H Cl interaction: C–H...Cl− and C–H...Cl–M often behave as hydrogen bonds but C–H...Cl–C is generally a van der Waals interaction, CrystEngComm 3 (2001) 114–119. Crossref
(24) S.K. Panigrahi, G.R. Desiraju, Strong and weak hydrogen bonds in the protein–ligand interface, Proteins: Struct., Funct., Bioinf. 67 (2007) 128–141. Crossref
(25) E.S. Day, S.M. Cote, A. Whitty, Binding efficiency of protein–protein complexes, Biochemistry 51 (2012) 9124–9136. Crossref







