Objective Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain a primary reason for death, and current thrombolytic agents face significant limitations due to side effects and high costs. Plant-derived alternatives, particularly from the Curcuma genus, show promise as safer and more accessible thrombolytic options. However, the thrombolytic potential of Curcuma wallichii specifically remains largely unexplored. The aim of this study is to evaluate the thrombolytic and anti-inflammatory potential of the chloroform fraction of Curcuma wallichii rhizomes (CFCWR) through in vitro models and in silico molecular docking with ADMET predictions. Methods The anti-inflammatory activity of the CFCWR was studied through the HRBC stabilization method and thrombolytic activity was tested using the clot-lysis assay. Phytochemicals were detected using GC-MS and the compounds were subjected to in silico docking against tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), along with ADMET evaluation by computational methods. Results The CFCWR exhibited a wide range of membrane-stabilizing capabilities, showing 65.23 ± 0.02%stabilization at a concentration of 100 µg/mL. In contrast, it demonstrated clot lysis activity of 62.23 ± 1.56% at the same concentration in comparison with the standard streptokinase (89.14 ± 0.03%) in the in vitro thrombolytic model. GC-MS analysis identified more than 100 phytochemicals, among which 2-(1-(Beta-d-glucopyranosyloxy)-1-methylethyl)-2,3-dihydro-7-oxo-7H-furo(3,2-g) exhibited the highest binding affinity (score -9.0 kcal/mol) toward the tPA protein. ADMET studies indicated that these compounds are non-carcinogenic, well-absorbed, and possess good oral bioavailability. Conclusion This study reports for the first time the thrombolytic activity of Curcuma wallichii and identifies bioactive phytochemicals with potential mechanistic interaction at the tPA active site. These findings justify further exploration of Curcuma wallichii as a potential therapeutic agent for cardiovascular diseases. Future studies should include in vivo evaluation of clot-dissolving efficacy and the isolation and characterization of bioactive compounds.
Hossain et al. (Sun,) studied this question.