In Silico ADMET and Toxicity of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. Metabolites
Keywords:
Hibiscus sabdariffa L, In Silico, SwissADMEAbstract
Abstract. Hibiscus sabdariffa L. has been widely utilized in traditional medicine and is known to contain various bioactive compounds. However, comprehensive information regarding the pharmacokinetic properties, drug-likeness, and toxicity profiles of its metabolites remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of metabolites from Hibiscus sabdariffa L. using an in silico approach. Compound identification was conducted using the KNApSAcK database, followed by pharmacokinetic and drug-likeness analysis employing SwissADME. Acute toxicity prediction and organ-specific toxicity assessment were performed using ProTox-3.0. A total of 13 metabolites were identified, consisting of flavonoids, phenolic compounds, organic acids, sugars, alkaloids, terpenoids, and sterols. Several compounds demonstrated favorable gastrointestinal absorption and complied with Lipinski’s Rule of Five, with bioavailability scores ranging from 0.55 to 0.56, indicating a moderate probability of oral bioavailability. Toxicity prediction results showed that most compounds belonged to toxicity classes 4–6, suggesting low to moderate acute toxicity, while a few compounds exhibited moderate to higher toxicity levels. This in silico evaluation provides preliminary insights into the pharmacokinetic behavior and safety profiles of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. metabolites, supporting their potential for further investigation as drug candidates.
References
I. Da-costa-rocha, B. Bonnlaender, H. Sievers, I. Pischel, and M. Heinrich, “Hibiscus sabdariffa L . – A phytochemical and pharmacological review,” Food Chem., vol. 165, pp. 424–443, 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.05.002.
F. Wu, Y. Zhou, L. Li, X. Shen, and G. Chen, “Computational Approaches in Preclinical Studies on Drug Discovery and Development,” Front. Chem., vol. 8, no. 726, 2020, doi: 10.3389/fchem.2020.00726.
R. M. Wadapurkar, D. Shilpam, A. Kumar, S. Katti, and M. B. Sulochana, “Informatics in Medicine Unlocked In silico drug design for Staphylococcus aureus and development of host-pathogen interaction network,” Inform. Med. Unlocked, vol. 10, pp. 58–70, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.imu.2017.11.002.
M. Silalahi, “Hibiscus sabdariffa L . ( Traditional Medicine and Food Ingredients ),” vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 114–122, 2024.
A.-M. Chiorcea-Paquim, “Electrochemistry of Flavonoids : A Comprehensive Review,” Int. J. Mol. Sci., 2023.
H. Hasnat et al., “Heliyon Flavonoids : A treasure house of prospective pharmacological potentials,” Heliyon, vol. 10, no. 6, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27533.
M. Kisiriko, M. Anastasiadi, L. A. Terry, A. Yasri, M. H. Beale, and J. L. Ward, “Phenolics from Medicinal and Aromatic Plants : Characterisation and Potential as Biostimulants and Bioprotectants,” Molecules, 2021.
N. Bocso and M. Butnariu, “The biological role of primary and secondary plants metabolites,” Journal of Nutrition and Food Processing, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 1–7, 2022, doi: 10.31579/2637-8914/094.
E. P. De Lima et al., “Polyphenols , Alkaloids , and Terpenoids Against Neurodegeneration : Evaluating the Neuroprotective Effects of Phytocompounds Through a Comprehensive Review of the Current Evidence,” Metabolites, vol. 15, no. 124, 2025.
T. K. Karami, S. Hailu, S. Feng, R. Graham, and H. J. Gukasyan, “Eyes on Lipinski ’ s Rule of Five : A New ‘“ Rule of Thumb ”’ for Physicochemical Design Space of Ophthalmic Drugs,” Journal Of Ocular Pharmacology And Therapeutics, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 43–55, 2022, doi: 10.1089/jop.2021.0069.
D. Dahlgren and H. Lennernäs, “Intestinal Permeability and Drug Absorption : Predictive Experimental , Computational and In Vivo Approaches,” Pharmaceutics, vol. 11, no. 411, 2019.
D. Wu, Q. Chen, X. Chen, F. Han, Z. Chen, and Y. Wang, “The blood – brain barrier : Structure , regulation and drug delivery,” Signal Transduct. Target. Ther., vol. 8, no. 217, 2023, doi: 10.1038/s41392-023-01481-w.
M. Hammami, E. Chaabani, W. Yeddes, W. A. Wannes, and S. Bourgou, “Phenolic Compounds and Skin Permeability : An In Silico Investigation,” Avicenna Journal of Medical Biochemistry, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 11–18, 2023, doi: 10.34172/ajmb.2023.2398.
Ranjith and Ravikumar, “SwissADME predictions of pharmacokinetics and drug-likeness properties of small molecules present in Ipomoea mauritiana Jacq,” J. Pharmacogn. Phytochem., vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 2063–2073, 2019.
E. O. Erhirhie, C. P. Ihekwereme, and E. E. Ilodigwe, “Advances in acute toxicity testing : strengths , weaknesses and regulatory acceptance,” Interdiscip Toxicol, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 5–12, 2018, doi: 10.2478/intox-2018-0001.
Syifa Prahayati and Bertha Rusdi, “Uji In Silico Aktivitas Senyawa Kumarin Turunannya Terhadap Enzim Alfa Glukosidase Antidiabetes,” Jurnal Riset Farmasi, pp. 9–16, Jul. 2023, doi: 10.29313/jrf.v3i1.2343.
Yuliyani Nur Putri, Siti Hazar, and Sri Peni Fitrianingsih, “Potensi Aktivitas Antidepresan pada Tumbuhan Suku Malvaceae,” Jurnal Riset Farmasi, pp. 43–48, Jul. 2024, doi: 10.29313/jrf.v4i1.3888.