Synergistic Anti-rheumatoid Activity: Green Extraction, Homology Modelling and Molecular Docking of Boswellia serrata and Hygrophila auriculata

Background: Boswellia serrata and Hygrophila auriculata are essentially medicinal plants with significant anti-inflammatory properties. While B. serrata is rich in boswellic acids that inhibit the activity of inflammatory mediators, H. auriculata is rich in flavonoids and alkaloids recognised for their anti-arthritic effects. Therefore, the therapeutic application of the combined extracts may manifest additional benefits by exerting a synergistic effect toward inflammation problems like rheumatoid arthritis. Aim: The study aims to evaluate the activity of protein denaturation using B. serrata and H. auriculata extraction samples in an in vitro anti-inflammatory experiment. Methodology: The test extract, at different concentrations, was incubated with Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) under controlled experimental conditions and subjected to the determination of absorbance at 660 nm to evaluate the anti-inflammatory property. Aspirin was used as the reference standard drug. In addition, in-silico studies such as molecular docking were performed to check for interactions with key inflammatory proteins. Results: The combination of the extracts from B. serrata and H. auriculata substantially inhibited the protein denaturation ability. The IC-50 values showed enhanced efficacy compared to the single extract, indicating synergy. Molecular docking analysis revealed higher binding affinities to the inflammatory target proteins, showing that it could serve as an anti-arthritic agent. Conclusion: The synergistic combination of B. serrata and H. auriculata extracts enhances their anti-inflammatory activity, thereby increasing the potential use of this combination for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. This also emphasises the importance of plant bioactive compounds in the development of potential natural anti-arthritic therapies. Major Findings: The extracts of B. serrata and H. auriculata together showed remarkable inhibition of protein denaturation, and this was interpreted as a synergistic anti-inflammatory effect. The GC-MS profiling revealed the presence of bioactive compounds, including caryophyllene oxide, which was found to have a strong binding affinity for inflammatory target proteins in the molecular docking studies. All these findings together suggest the plant combination as a natural management strategy for rheumatoid arthritis through the way of therapeutic application.