Ginsenosides as Potential Natural Ligands of SLC3A2: Computational Insights in Cancer

<i>Panax ginseng</i> has been used as a traditional Oriental medicinal herb. This research investigates the potential of ginsenosides, bioactive phyto compounds derived from <i>ginseng</i>, as ligands of the solute carrier (SLC) family, including SLC3A2, SLC7A6, SLC7A11, SLC7...

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Main Author: Jing Lu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Life
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/6/907
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author Jing Lu
author_facet Jing Lu
author_sort Jing Lu
collection DOAJ
description <i>Panax ginseng</i> has been used as a traditional Oriental medicinal herb. This research investigates the potential of ginsenosides, bioactive phyto compounds derived from <i>ginseng</i>, as ligands of the solute carrier (SLC) family, including SLC3A2, SLC7A6, SLC7A11, SLC7A5, SLC7A8, SLC43A1, LCN2, SLC7A9, SLC7A7, and SLC7A10 proteins—which are overexpressed in various cancers and linked to metastasis. Using molecular docking (MD), ginsenosides (Km, Ro, compound K (CK), Rk1, and Ra1) with high binding affinities to SLC3A2 were identified, exhibiting binding energies of −9.3, −9.1, −8.7, −8.0, and −7.7 kcal/mol, respectively. Further molecular dynamics simulations (MDSs) conducted using GROMACS revealed improved stability, flexibility, and dynamic behavior of the selected ginsenosides, predicting their potential as natural ligands to bind with SLC3A2. Though this computational prediction underscores these ginsenosides as promising candidates as natural ligands to bind and interact with SLC family proteins during anti-cancer therapies, further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to validate these interactions and anti-cancer effects.
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spelling doaj-art-067a65e779d24413aa8eaef00a9ce7b92025-08-20T02:21:07ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292025-06-0115690710.3390/life15060907Ginsenosides as Potential Natural Ligands of SLC3A2: Computational Insights in CancerJing Lu0Division of General Education, Seokyeong University, Seoul 02173, Republic of Korea<i>Panax ginseng</i> has been used as a traditional Oriental medicinal herb. This research investigates the potential of ginsenosides, bioactive phyto compounds derived from <i>ginseng</i>, as ligands of the solute carrier (SLC) family, including SLC3A2, SLC7A6, SLC7A11, SLC7A5, SLC7A8, SLC43A1, LCN2, SLC7A9, SLC7A7, and SLC7A10 proteins—which are overexpressed in various cancers and linked to metastasis. Using molecular docking (MD), ginsenosides (Km, Ro, compound K (CK), Rk1, and Ra1) with high binding affinities to SLC3A2 were identified, exhibiting binding energies of −9.3, −9.1, −8.7, −8.0, and −7.7 kcal/mol, respectively. Further molecular dynamics simulations (MDSs) conducted using GROMACS revealed improved stability, flexibility, and dynamic behavior of the selected ginsenosides, predicting their potential as natural ligands to bind with SLC3A2. Though this computational prediction underscores these ginsenosides as promising candidates as natural ligands to bind and interact with SLC family proteins during anti-cancer therapies, further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to validate these interactions and anti-cancer effects.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/6/907ginsenosidesSLC familySLC3A2anti-cancermolecular dynamics simulation
spellingShingle Jing Lu
Ginsenosides as Potential Natural Ligands of SLC3A2: Computational Insights in Cancer
Life
ginsenosides
SLC family
SLC3A2
anti-cancer
molecular dynamics simulation
title Ginsenosides as Potential Natural Ligands of SLC3A2: Computational Insights in Cancer
title_full Ginsenosides as Potential Natural Ligands of SLC3A2: Computational Insights in Cancer
title_fullStr Ginsenosides as Potential Natural Ligands of SLC3A2: Computational Insights in Cancer
title_full_unstemmed Ginsenosides as Potential Natural Ligands of SLC3A2: Computational Insights in Cancer
title_short Ginsenosides as Potential Natural Ligands of SLC3A2: Computational Insights in Cancer
title_sort ginsenosides as potential natural ligands of slc3a2 computational insights in cancer
topic ginsenosides
SLC family
SLC3A2
anti-cancer
molecular dynamics simulation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/6/907
work_keys_str_mv AT jinglu ginsenosidesaspotentialnaturalligandsofslc3a2computationalinsightsincancer