NETWORK PHARMACOLOGY AND MOLECULAR DOCKING-BASED INVESTIGATION OF THE MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF CLITORIA TERNATEA IN MYASTHENIA GRAVIS

Myasthenia Gravis is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disorder characterized by impaired neuromuscular transmission, resulting in fluctuating skeletal muscle weakness. The present study aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of Clitoria ternatea against MG using an integrated network pharmacology and molecular docking approach. Phytoconstituents reported from C. ternatea were collected from published literature and phytochemical databases, and their chemical structures were retrieved from PubChem. The identified compounds were evaluated for drug-likeness and pharmacokinetic properties using SwissADME, followed by prediction of their potential protein targets and identification of MG-associated targets. The overlapping targets were subjected to protein–protein interaction analysis, Gene Ontology enrichment, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis to elucidate the potential biological functions and signaling pathways involved. A total of 110 potential targets were identified, with significant enrichment in biological processes and pathways associated with cholinergic neurotransmission, synaptic function, acetylcholine metabolism, and cellular metabolic processes. Among the identified targets, acetylcholinesterase emerged as a key target relevant to cholinergic signaling in MG. Molecular docking analysis revealed favorable interactions between selected C. ternatea phytoconstituents and the selected target protein, involving hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and other stabilizing molecular interactions. Overall, the findings suggest that C. ternatea may exert potential therapeutic effects against MG through the multi-target modulation of cholinergic neurotransmission and related molecular pathways. These findings provide a computational basis for further experimental investigation of C. ternatea as a potential source of bioactive compounds for MG management.