Flavonoid Profiling, Molecular Docking, and Modulatory Effects of Artemisia herba- alba Leaf Extract on ACE2 and TMPRSS2 Gene Expression

Authors

• Zainab Tuama Al-Dallee, Department of Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants, College of Pharmacy, University of Basrah, Basrah, IraqFollow
• Kawther Tuma Khalaf, Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, College of Pharmacy, University of Basrah, Basrah, IraqFollow
• Ula M. Noor Al-Mousawi, Department of Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants, College of Pharmacy, University of Basrah, Basrah, IraqFollow
• Hiba Najeh Alsaad, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Basrah, Basrah, IraqFollow
• Emad Yousif Awad Al-Sultan, Department of Biology, College of Education for Pure Science, University of Basrah, Basrah, IraqFollow

Abstract

Several studies have reported the potential antiviral activity of Artemisia species, which is related mainly to their flavonoid constituents. Transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) are critical SARS-CoV-2 entry factors. In this study, the phytochemical composition and modulatory effects of Artemisia herba-alba leaf extract on the gene expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 were investigated. To identify the flavonoid profile, HPLC was used. Cytotoxicity was estimated in A549 carcinoma and HDFn fibroblasts using an MTT assay (IC₅₀ = 114.8 μg/mL). The real-time PCR results revealed significant upregulation of TMPRSS2 gene expression (2.4-fold, p ≤ 0.01; p value = 0.0011), whereas ACE2 expression remained unchanged. Furthermore, a molecular docking study suggested the potential binding affinity of hesperidin and rutin for TMPRSS2 and ACE2. Therefore, both in vitro and in silico results indicated that A. herba-alba extract may interact with the viral entry pathway.

Keywords

ACE2, Artemisia herba-alba, COVID-19, Natural antiviral activity, TMPRSS2

Subject Area

Biology

Article Type

Article

First Page

2076

Last Page

2086

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite this Article

Al-Dallee, Zainab Tuama; Khalaf, Kawther Tuma; Al-Mousawi, Ula M. Noor; Alsaad, Hiba Najeh; and Al-Sultan, Emad Yousif Awad (2026) "Flavonoid Profiling, Molecular Docking, and Modulatory Effects of Artemisia herba- alba Leaf Extract on ACE2 and TMPRSS2 Gene Expression," Baghdad Science Journal: Vol. 23: Iss. 6, Article 9.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21123/2411-7986.5315