ABSTRACT
In the present study, the anti-diabetic potential of Ocimum tenuiflorum was investigated using computational techniques for α-glucosidase, α-amylase, aldose reductase, and glycation at multiple stages. It aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which phytocompounds of O. tenuiflorum treat diabetes mellitus using concepts of druglikeness and pharmacokinetics, molecular docking simulations, molecular dynamics simulations, and binding free energy studies. Isoeugenol is a phenylpropene, propenyl-substituted guaiacol found in the essential oils of plants. During molecular docking modelling, isoeugenol was found to inhibit all the target enzymes, with a higher binding efficiency than standard drugs. Furthermore, molecular dynamic experiments revealed that isoeugenol was more stable in the binding pockets than the standard drugs used. Since our aim was to discover a single lead molecule with a higher binding efficiency and stability, isoeugenol was selected. In this context, our study stands in contrast to other computational studies that report on more than one compound, making it difficult to offer further analyses. To summarize, we recommend isoeugenol as a potential widely employed lead inhibitor of α-glucosidase, α-amylase, aldose reductase, and glycation based on the results of our in silico studies, therefore revealing a novel phytocompound for the effective treatment of hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus.