Network Pharmacology Based Approach To Investigate The Molecular Mechanism Of Rosamarinus Officinals In The Treatment Of Parkinson's Disease

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a long-term and progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by tremors, rigidity, and movement difficulties caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra region of the brain (Shukla et al., 2011). While conventional treatments like levodopa and dopamine agonists help control symptoms, they cannot prevent disease progression or reverse neuronal damage (McGeer & McGeer, 2004). This has encouraged researchers to explore natural and plant-based compounds that can provide neuroprotection. Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) is a medicinal herb from the Lamiaceae family, traditionally used for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and memory-enhancing properties. It contains powerful bioactive compounds such as rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid, apigenin, and hispidulin, which have shown neuroprotective potential in previous studies (Rahbardar & Hosseinzadeh, 2020). This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms of Rosmarinus officinalis against Parkinson’s disease using a network pharmacology and molecular docking approach. Phytochemicals were identified using the IMMPAT and Dr. Duke’s databases. The SwissTargetPrediction tool was applied to predict potential human protein targets. Protein– protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed using the STRING database, and compound–target–pathway interactions were visualized in Cytoscape. Furthermore, molecular docking using AutoDock 4.0 validated compound–protein binding interactions. The results revealed that key active compounds of R. officinalis strongly interact with PDrelated proteins such as EGFR, AKT1, MAOA, and BCL2, indicating potential modulation of neuroprotective pathways (Andrade et al., 2018). Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses demonstrated significant involvement in pathways related to oxidative stress, apoptosis regulation, dopaminergic signaling, and mitochondrial stability. Overall, this study suggests that Rosmarinus officinalis has strong therapeutic potential for Parkinson’s disease through its multi-target, multi-pathway actions, offering new insight for developing natural neuroprotective treatments.