Unraveling the Antiobesity Potential of Balanites aegyptiaca Leaves through Computational techniques

Obesity is a major health problem worldwide caused by the excessive accumulation of body fat which is linked to cause various diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and others. In this study, we used computational techniques (network pharmacology and molecular docking) for Balanites aegyptiaca leaves (BAL) to treat obesity. Three active compounds were identified by using network pharmacology which are: Quercetin, Acacetin, Apigenin while obesity related targets genes were obtained from GeneCards database. These genes are involved in fat metabolism, energy balance and inflammation. Molecular docking showed strong binding affinity of these phytochemicals. AKT1 is the most significant target for obesity. The 3Dimentional structure of AKT1 protein (PDB ID: 3O96) was retrieved from protein data bank which is optimized and analyzed for its interactions. These findings suggest that Balanites aegyptiaca leaves may help in obesity management by targeting key biological pathways. However, further laboratory and clinical studies are needed to confirm effectiveness of Balanites aegyptiaca leaves in the treatment of obesity.