Phytoconstituents of Datura metel extract improved motor coordination in haloperidol-induced cataleptic mice: Dual-target molecular docking and behavioural studies

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prominent health challenge characterized by complex aetiology and limited therapeutic breakthroughs. Datura metel (DM) is a medicinal plant containing active phytoconstituents with neuropharmacological potentials. In traditional medicine, it exerts anticholinergic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and protection from organophosphate poisoning inclusively involved in the pharmacotherapy of PD. Its other PD-related medicinal potency includes treatment of motor sickness and bradycardia. However, the exact mechanisms of anti-PD effects of its phytoconstituents remain underexplored. Materials and methods: In this study, methanolic extract of DM was evaluated for anti-PD behavioural effects in vivo haloperidol-induced cataleptic mice. The GC-MS-identified phytochemicals were studied for one-drug-multi-target inhibitory mechanisms against some key targets for PD treatment, alpha-synuclein (ASN) and dopa decarboxylase (DDC) using molecular docking. Results: and discussion: Chronic administration of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg of DM extract improved the 14-s latency time induced by haloperidol to 54, 54 and 57 s respectively, whereas levodopa (30 mg/kg) produced 47 s in rotarod tests. Similarly, the descending times for haloperidol-induced cataleptic mice were significantly reduced from 110 s to 17.7, 17.7 and 12.5 s by the respective chronic doses of DM extract, whereas levodopa-administered mice spent 17.5 s descending the same 30 cm pole. The interesting motor coordination enhancements are suggestively due to synergistic inhibition of ASN and DCC by the phytoconstituents of DM, especially, atropine and scopolamine. From the docking analysis, the two phytochemicals interacted more potently with the active therapeutic sites of the dual targets than levodopa and carbidopa. Conclusion: Methanolic extract of DM contains active phytochemicals for multi-target-directed antiparkinsonian mechanisms amenable for further studies.

Automated summary

This study found that the methanolic extract of Datura metel has potential therapeutic effects for Parkinson's disease, improving motor coordination and reducing muscle rigidity. The mechanism of action may be through multi-target inhibition of several key targets.