Identification of Novel Protein Targets for Fenugreek to Treat Diabetes: A Molecular Docking Study
Abstract: Trigonella foenum-graecum has been shown to have anti-diabetic potential through a wide variety of in-vivo assays as well as by inhibiting enzymes such as alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase. Studies have indicated the therapeutic potential of different phytoconstituents found in Trigonella foenum-graceum including diosgenin trigonelline, 4-hydroxyisoleucine, leucine, and L-lysine. This study aims to find novel protein targets that these specific phytoconstituents from fenugreek can bind to, thereby helping to treat diabetes mellitus. Through multiple stages of molecular docking and analyzing the binding sites in comparison to previously reported inhibitors, a suitable and novel target protein for four of the compounds was found and the relevance to diabetes was discussed, setting up these compounds as novel inhibitors for the target proteins.