Bioguided Isolation of 8-epideoxyloganic acid from Nepeta Italica: In vitro and In silico Assessments


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Ipek Y., Yenigun S., Basar Y., Demirtaş İ., Özen T., Behcet L.

Gazi University Journal of Science, vol.39, no.2, pp.688-707, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus, TRDizin)

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 39 Issue: 2
  • Publication Date: 2026
  • Doi Number: 10.35378/gujs.1727978
  • Journal Name: Gazi University Journal of Science
  • Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM), Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO)
  • Page Numbers: pp.688-707
  • Keywords: 8-epideoxyloganic acid, In silico studies, In vitro bioactivity, Nepeta italica
  • Open Archive Collection: AVESIS Open Access Collection
  • Ondokuz Mayıs University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

In this study, 8-epideoxyloganic acid (8-ELA) was isolated from the methanol fraction of Nepeta italica subsp. italica using a bioactivity-guided approach. The active NIMFr3 fraction was purified, and the structure of 8-ELA was elucidated by NMR and MS analyses. The compound exhibited significant inhibitory activity against butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and α-glucosidase, with IC50 values of 7.768 ± 0.000 and 3.985 ± 0.066 µg/mL, respectively. Enzyme kinetics revealed a non-competitive inhibition profile for most enzymes, except lipase. Molecular docking and 100 ns molecular dynamics simulations confirmed stable binding orientations, supported by MM-PBSA free energy calculations (ΔGbind = −1.94 kcal/mol). Density functional theory (DFT) analysis indicated a HOMO–LUMO energy gap of 5.660 eV, while PASS prediction suggested potential anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and metabolic activities. Overall, this work provides complementary in vitro and in silico insights into 8-ELA, supporting its potential as a candidate molecule for future pharmacological research.