NETWORK PHARMACOLOGY-BASED IN-SILICO INVESTIGATION OF MAARADAIPPU CHOORANAM: A HYPOTHESIS-GENERATING STUDY ON ITS POTENTIAL MULTI-TARGET EFFECTS IN ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), primarily driven by atherosclerosis, remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by lipid accumulation, endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress and plaque formation, ultimately leading to Acute Myocardial Infarction. Maaradaippu chooranam, a classical siddha polyherbal formulation mentioned in Theraiyar Vaithiyam-1000 has been traditionally used in the management of cardiovascular diseases. However, its molecular mechanisms remain unexplored, warranting a systematic investigation using computational approach. Objective: To explore the potential multi-component, multi-target interactions of Maaradaippu chooranam in the context of atherosclerosis using a hypothesis-generating in-silico approach. Methods: Phytocompounds associated with constituent herbs were collected from literature and databases. ADME properties were predicted using SwissADME with defined selection criteria. Target prediction was performed using SwissTargetPrediction (Homo sapiens, probability threshold ≥0.1). Atherosclerosis-related targets were retrieved from GeneCards and DisGeNET using defined keywords and score thresholds. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis, enrichment analysis, and molecular docking were performed. Results: A total of 40 literature-derived compounds were identified, of which 23 were retained after ADME screening. Thirty-one overlapping targets were identified. Network and enrichment analyses suggested involvement in inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and lipid metabolism pathways. Docking analysis indicated potential interactions of selected compounds (quercetin, kaempferol, piperine) with key targets such as AKT1, PPARG, and TNF. Conclusion: This study proposes a computational hypothesis that Maaradaippu chooranam may exert multi-target effects relevant to atherosclerosis. However, these findings are predictive and require experimental validation, including phytochemical characterization and biological studies.