Network pharmacology analysis of Leea indica against rheumatoid arthritis: in-silico studies
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term inflammatory disease. The potential therapeutic benefits of natural products in modifying the inflammatory pathways linked to RA have drawn increasing attention. Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine the anti-inflammatory property of Leea indica using network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques. Methodology: Bioactive compounds of Leea indica were identified using public phytochemical databases. Network pharmacology analysis was conducted to determine RA-associated genes and construct a compound–target–disease interaction network. Enrichment analysis identified key signalling pathways involved in inflammation, particularly NF-κB and cytokine-mediated pathways. Molecular docking was performed to evaluate the binding affinity of major phytocompounds with RA-related protein targets. In addition, qualitative phytochemical screening was carried out to identify major secondary metabolites in the leaf extract. The antioxidant potential of the extract was evaluated using the phosphomolybdenum (PM) assay and the egg albumin denaturation inhibition assay for anti-inflammatory properties. Results: Phytochemical analysis verified the existence of multiple bioactive compounds. The egg albumin denaturation assay also showed increasing anti-inflammatory activity, reaching 85.23% inhibition at 300 μL. Network pharmacology analysis revealed that multiple Leea indica compounds strongly interacted with RA-associated targets. Pathway enrichment highlighted significant involvement of inflammation-related pathways, including NF-κB, TNF, and IL-17 signalling. Among the compounds, kaempferol-3-O-arabinoside exhibited strong binding with caspase-3 (−9.23 kcal/mol) and GAPDH (−10.17 kcal/mol), suggesting a role in apoptotic and metabolic regulation. Catechin gallate also demonstrated strong binding with AKT1 (−9.4 kcal/mol). Conclusion: The findings of the study support the plant as a promising candidate for further pharmacological investigation.