Enquête ethnopharmacologique sur l’usage traditionnel d’Atriplex halimus dans le traitement des troubles métaboliques : Focus sur le diabète et le SOPK

Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has become an increasingly significant challenge in women's health, with a steadily rising prevalence worldwide including in Arab countries. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of bioactive compounds from Atriplex halimus L. in managing both PCOS and diabetes by combining a field ethnobotanical survey with computational (In silico) analysi . A field investigation was conducted across several Algerian provinces, followed by computational modeling of nine major compounds from A. halimus. The analyses focused on pharmacokinetic and toxicity profiles (ADMET) and molecular target prediction using the Swiss Target Prediction tool.Survey results showed that 77% of the 300 participants reported using A. halimus, with water infusion being the most common preparation method (90%). The main therapeutic purposes were PCOS (78%), followed by cancer (13%), digestive disorders (6%), and kidney diseases (3%). SwissADME analysis revealed that compounds such as gallic acid, ferulic acid, and canolol exhibited favorable physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties, suggesting good oral absorption. In contrast, compounds like myricetin, isorhamnetin, chlorogenic acid, and syringetin 3-O-glucopyranoside showed characteristics that could hinder their oral bioavailability. Rutin and catechin gallate were found to have low aqueous solubility.SwissTargetPrediction results indicated that the most commonly targeted protein families by A. halimus compounds were enzymes and kinases, both of which play key roles in metabolism and hormonal regulation. Compounds such as catechin gallate, myricetin, isorhamnetin, and chlorogenic acid showed the highest target prediction scores, highlighting their potential therapeutic relevance in PCOS.Additionally, myricetin and isorhamnetin demonstrated a notable ability to target nuclear receptors, reinforcing their potential roles in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism particularly important given the close link between PCOS and insulin resistance.