02393nas a2200265 4500008004100000245010300041210006900144260001400213300001200227490000700239520156400246653001601810653002001826653001601846653000701862653000901869653002501878100002901903700002701932700003001959700003501989700001802024700002202042856006302064 2024 eng d00aNetwork Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Approaches of Astaxanthin (ATX) against Atherosclerosis0 aNetwork Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Approaches of Astaxan cJune 2024 a626-6370 v163 a

Background: Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease well known as the leading cause of Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs). Astaxanthin (ATX) is a reddish pigment that belongs to the family of xanthophylls, which are oxygenated derivatives of carotenoids. Aim: In this study, we aimed to investigate the targets and mechanisms involved in treating atherosclerosis using network pharmacology and molecular approaches. Materials and Methods: The genes targeted by ATX were predicted using Swiss Target Prediction, BATMAN-TCM, and Super-Pred databases, while genes associated with atherosclerosis were retrieved from DigSee, GAD, GeneCards, and OMIM databases. The interactions between ATX and atherosclerosis genes were identified through protein–protein interaction analysis, Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Results: The results revealed a total of 240 ATX-related genes and 4,977 atherosclerosis-related genes, with 172 overlapping genes identified. Six core genes were obtained: SRC, AKT1, MAPK3, HDAC1, PIK3R1, and RXRA. These results were further validated through the molecular docking approach, where all six core targets exhibit low binding energy, suggesting strong binding affinity, with PIK3R1 having the best binding affinity among them. Conclusion: Our study provides novel insights into the potential application of ATX in the management of atherosclerosis.

10aAstaxanthin10aAtherosclerosis10aCarotenoids10aGO10aKEGG10aNetwork pharmacology1 aBarizi, Anis, Zuhaida Ma1 aAzman, Ain, Nabila Sya1 aSaad, Muhamad, Fikri Shaz1 aAbdullah, Muhammad, Nazrul Hak1 aLim, Vuanghao1 aYong, Yoke, Keong uhttps://www.phcogres.com/article/2024/16/3/105530pres16374