COMPARATIVE PHYTOCHEMICAL, SPECTROSCOPIC ANALYSIS, AND NETWORK PHARMACOLOGY OF Ficus sur AND Justicia secunda: IMPLICATIONS ON SICKLE CELL ANAEMIA

AGU,, CHIAMAKA MARTINA (2026) COMPARATIVE PHYTOCHEMICAL, SPECTROSCOPIC ANALYSIS, AND NETWORK PHARMACOLOGY OF Ficus sur AND Justicia secunda: IMPLICATIONS ON SICKLE CELL ANAEMIA. Other thesis, Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu.

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Abstract

Sickle cell anaemia (SCD) is the most prevalent monogenic haemoglobinopathy in Nigeria, yet definitive treatment remains largely inaccessible, sustaining reliance on ethnomedicinal “blood-building” plants such as Ficus sur Forssk. and Justicia secunda Vahl. This study integrated phytochemical screening, proximate analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), and network pharmacology with molecular docking to identify drug-like compounds from both leaf extracts and characterise the blood-related molecular targets they engage, interpreted specifically in the context of SCD. Ethanolic Soxhlet extraction gave yields of 7.04% (F. sur) and 8.56% (J. secunda). Qualitative screening confirmed alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, phenols, terpenoids, and reducing sugars in both extracts, with steroids/triterpenoids unique to F. sur and cardiac glycosides to J. secunda. FTIR-ATR spectra showed characteristic O–H, aromatic C=C/N–H, and C–O–C glycosidic bands consistent with polyphenolic and flavonoid glycosides. AAS quantified twelve elements, with F. sur showing markedly higher calcium (280.56 vs 80.16 mg/L) and comparable iron content (2.60 vs 2.54 mg/L) to J. secunda; lead and cadmium were undetected in both. Of sixty literature-reported compounds screened for drug-likeness, nine met criteria and eight proceeded to network pharmacology, yielding 32 compound–target interactions dominated by the Fanconi anaemia DNA-repair pathway (15/32 genes; FDR = 1.03×10⁻³⁰). Molecular docking of 22 compound target complexes identified piperine–BRCA2 (ΔG = −8.4 kcal/mol) and apigenin–ATM (−8.2 kcal/mol) as strongest interactions, while caffeic acid and p-coumaric acid from F. sur directly engaged the haem-binding pockets of HBA1 and HBA2. These findings provide the first mechanistically grounded, compound-level evidence linking both plants’ traditional anti sickling use to antioxidant protection, genomic-stability support, and direct haemoglobin structural engagement, supporting their potential as complementary phytotherapeutic adjuncts for sickle cell anaemia management pending experimental validation.

Item Type:	Thesis (Other)
Subjects:	Q Science > Q Science (General)
Divisions:	Faculty of Natural Sciences and Environmental Studies
Depositing User:	MICHAEL MADUBUKO
Date Deposited:	07 Aug 2026 10:43
Last Modified:	07 Aug 2026 10:43
URI:	http://eprints.gouni.edu.ng/id/eprint/6219

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