The utilization of food as a therapeutic measure for various ailments has been a prevalent practice throughout history and across different cultures. This is exemplified in societies where substances like Hibiscus sabdariffa have been employed to manage health conditions like hypertension and elevated blood glucose levels. The inherent bioactive compounds found in this plant, namely, delphinidin-3-sambubioside (DS3), quercetin (QRC), and hibiscus acid (HA), have been linked to various health benefits. Despite receiving individual attention, the specific molecular targets for these compounds remain unclear. In this study, computational analysis was conducted using bioinformatics tools such as Swiss Target Prediction, ShinnyGo 0.77, KEGG, and Stringdb to identify the molecular targets, pathways, and hub genes. Supplementary results were obtained through a thorough literature search in PubMed. DS3 analysis revealed potential genetic alterations related to the metabolism of nitrogen and glucose, inflammation, angiogenesis, and cell proliferation, particularly impacting the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. QRC analysis demonstrated interconnected targets spanning multiple pathways, with some overlap with DS3 analysis and a particular focus on pathways related to cancer. HA analysis revealed distinct targets, especially those associated with pathways related to the nervous system. These findings emphasize the necessity for focused research on the molecular effects of DS3, QRC, and HA, thereby providing valuable insights into potential therapeutic pathways.

Gastric cancer (GC) remains a significant global health challenge, with high mortality rates, especially in developing countries. Current treatments are invasive and have considerable risks, necessitating the exploration of safer alternatives. Quercetin (QRC), a flavonoid present in various plants and foods, has demonstrated multiple health benefits, including anticancer properties. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of QRC in the treatment of GC. We utilized advanced molecular techniques to assess the impact of QRC on GC cells, examining its effects on cellular pathways and gene expression. Our findings indicate that QRC significantly inhibits GC cell proliferation and induces apoptosis, suggesting its potential as a safer therapeutic option for GC treatment. Further research is required to validate these results and explore the clinical applications of QRC in cancer therapy.

Gastric cancer (GC) remains a significant global health challenge, with high mortality rates, especially in developing countries. Current treatments are invasive and have considerable risks, necessitating the exploration of safer alternatives. Quercetin (QRC), a flavonoid present in various plants and foods, has demonstrated multiple health benefits, including anticancer properties. This study investigates the therapeutic potential of QRC in the treatment of GC. We utilized advanced molecular techniques to assess the impact of QRC on GC cells, examining its effects on cellular pathways and gene expression. Our findings indicate that QRC significantly inhibits GC cell proliferation and induces apoptosis, suggesting its potential as a safer therapeutic option for GC treatment. Further research is required to validate these results and explore the clinical applications of QRC in cancer therapy

Gastric cancer (GC) is the second most common cause of death of any cancer-related cases in the world, and is also in the top 5 most common malignancy cancers in general. There are plenty of well-distributed treatments, offering better hygiene, more robust and complete nutrition, and the eradication of pathogens such as Helicobacter pylori. Currently, there is still the need for more treatments, especially those of lower cost, like those coming from already easily available products. Quercetin (QRC) is a natural phenolic compound present in a wide variety of products, e.g., in plants like Hibiscus sabdariffa, onions, grapes, broccoli, and citrus fruits. This product has been shown to have great potential therapeutic effects, and it has also been suggested that it could be useful in combating different types of cancer; however, information regarding the targets or mechanisms that QRC has on cancer cells is still unclear. Therefore, this study aims to identify the targets that QRC has, like anti-cancer treatment for GC using different bio-informatic tools and databases. From MalaCards and SwissTargetPrediction, both QRC and GC molecular targets were defined, and then they were matched with the Venny 2.1.0 platform. From this, 31 genes were gathered, and then they were analyzed using the ShinnyGo0.77 and DAVID-Bioinformatic Resources. Furthermore, StringDB was used to identify the protein—protein interactions, and Citoscape 3.6.0 12 hub genes were obtained. Those hub genes were then subject to Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis and TISIDB. Finally, molecular docking studies were performed using the SwissDock database. The results suggest that, according to the gene ontology data, QRC has a relationship with the regulation of cell death, response to stress, cell motility, response to amyloid-beta, cellular response to reactive oxygen species, and apoptotic processes. Some genes like EGFR were correlated with an abundance of CD8 and Neutrophil infiltration but didn’t show to improve the survival rate. Furthermore, molecular docking results show that QRC can bind to multiple molecules of interest. These results complement some of the currently available information alluding to the effectiveness of plants rich with QRC as part of the treatment used for different kinds of cancer, but it also suggests a plethora of new targets that this molecule has in GC, while at the same time giving a clearer idea of the mechanisms that are affected in GC by QRC. However, as with any other study that primarily uses bioinformatic tools, these final results are to be used for more direct and precise research, especially if experimental protocols are used.

The use of food and its nutrients as a remedy for diseases is historically and culturally well rooted in plenty of societies. An example of this is the use of Hibiscus sabdariffa to treat conditions like hypertension or high blood glucose. Furthermore, the natural biocompounds present in this plant have been demonstrated by several authors to be hypotensive, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, antiobesogenic, etc. One of these compounds is Delphinidin-3-Sambubiosid (DS3), the most representative anthocyanin of Hibiscus sabdariffa, and as such, it has been proposed to have the beneficial effects previously mentioned. However, little is known about the molecular targets of DS3. Therefore, we conducted an in silico analysis using different bioinformatic tools to determine the possible molecular targets of this molecule and the potential impact the modification of its targets could have on the proteins and/or pathways of humans. We used the Swiss Target Prediction site to identify all the molecular targets of DS3, and then ShinnyGo 0.77, KEGG, and Stringdb were used to identify key pathways and hub genes related to them. Also, a literature search was conducted in PubMed, where each of the hub genes was linked to DS3 so we could gather information that complemented the results of the bioinformatic tools. The results show that DS3 can modify the behavior of genes related to nitrogen and glucose metabolism, inflammation, angiogenesis, and cell proliferation. Additionally, DS3 has direct effects on the PI3K-AKT pathway, which could be a key finding promoting further research, especially to determine the implications associated with changes in the aforementioned pathway.

The historical and cultural use of food as a remedy for diseases is evident in societies, such as using Hibiscus sabdariffa to address conditions like hypertension and high blood glucose. The natural biocompounds in this plant, including Delphinidin-3-Sambubioside (DS3), Quercetin (QRC), and Hibiscus Acid (HA), have been linked to various health benefits. Despite individual attention, molecular targets for these compounds remain unclear. In this study, in-silico analysis employed bioinformatic tools; including Swiss Target Prediction, ShinnyGo 0.77, KEGG, and Stringdb, to identify molecular targets, pathways, and hub genes. A PubMed literature search complemented the results. DS3 demonstrated potential modifications in genes related to nitrogen and glucose metabolism, inflammation, angiogenesis, and cell proliferation, particularly affecting the PI3K-AKT pathway. QRC displayed interconnected targets across multiple pathways, with overlap with DS3 and a focus on cancer-related pathways. HA showed distinct targets, particularly associated with nervous system-related pathways. These findings highlight the need for targeted research on the molecular effects of DS3, QRC, and HA, providing valuable insights into potential therapeutic pathways.