TITLE:
Molecular Docking Studies of Alpinia galanga Phytoconstituents for Psychostimulant Activity
AUTHORS:
Santhy Sivanandan, Surekha Pimple
KEYWORDS:
EnXtra®, Caffeine, Dopamine, Enovate Biolife, Energy Drink, Cognitive, In-Silico
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Biological Chemistry,
Vol.8 No.4,
July
23,
2018
ABSTRACT: Dopamine is a neurotransmitter responsible for
sending signals from the central nervous system. It allows human beings to stay
attentive and focused. Caffeine, the most widely consumed psychoactive
substance in the world, is known to improve alertness by enhancing dopamine
signaling in the brain. EnXtra®, an Alpinia galanga extract has been clinically proven to promote
alertness however the mechanism for such action required elucidation. The
current study was designed to explore the mechanism for the neurocognitive
enhancing property of EnXtra® by the in-silico interaction of its potential compounds with various
targets involved in such process namely Dopamine and Acetylcholinesterase
(AchE). As evident by the outcomes of the study, active compounds of EnXtra® can block the dopamine
reuptake thereby increasing the dopamine levels which further can enhance the
visuospatial performance and mental clarity, leading to improved mental
alertness. At the same time, its strong effect on Acetylcholinesterase
receptors is indicative of its nootropic potential.