Exploring Urtica dioica L. as a Promising Alternative Therapy for Obesity-Related Breast Cancer: Insights from Molecular Mechanisms and Bioinformatic Analysis

Abstract

Abstract Obesity and obesity-related breast cancer are major health problems that require alternative treatment strategies. Urtica dioica L. (U. dioica) stands out as a potential therapeutic candidate with its anti-oxidant, anti-cancer and lipid-lowering properties. In this study, the molecular effects of U. dioica were investigated by gene expression analysis and molecular docking methods. U. dioica significantly suppressed the expression of Brca1, Brca2, Fas, Lpl, Dgat1 and Mcp1 genes, resulting in significant changes in lipid metabolism, cancer susceptibility and inflammation. Molecular docking analyses showed that U. dioica components have strong binding affinities with target proteins. In particular, the interactions between Dgat1-Isorhamnetin rutinoside (-10.3 kcal/mol), Fas-Quercetin acetyl rutinoside (-10.3 kcal/mol), Lpl-Apigenin hexoside (-9.2 kcal/mol) and Mcp1-Quercetin acetyl rutinoside (-8.6 kcal/mol) were notable. In vitro and in silico analyses supported each other, revealing the effects of U. dioica in gene expression regulation and the potential for its constituents to interact with proteins. These findings indicate that U. dioica may be a promising alternative therapeutic agent in the treatment of obesity and obesity-related breast cancer and emphasize that its efficacy should be confirmed by clinical trials.