Nanotechnological synergy of mangiferin and curcumin in modulating PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway - a novel front in ovarian cancer precision therapeutics

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Jiven

Ovarian cancer remains difficult to manage due to limited early detection and its often asymptomatic progression, with the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway playing a central role in proliferation and survival. This work explores synergistic modulation using mangiferin and curcumin, but emphasizes that poor bioavailability requires advanced delivery. Exosomal and liposomal nano-carriers were engineered to target PI3K/Akt/mTOR, while docking and 100 ns molecular dynamics simulations evaluated binding and stability.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Objective

Methods

Molecular docking and simulations

Results

Conclusion

TYPE Original Research PUBLISHED 04 January 2024 DOI 10.3389/fphar.2023.1276209 OPEN ACCESS EDITED BY Mohammad Imran Khan, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Saudi Arabia REVIEWED BY Mohammed Razeeth Shait Mohammed, University of California, San Diego, United States Rahul Lall, University of Florida, United States Mohammad Kashif, Independent Researcher, Lucknow, India *CORRESPONDENCE Vinoth Kumarasamy, [vinoth@ukm.edu.my](vinoth@ukm.edu.my)[ ](vinoth@ukm.edu.my)Hanan M. Alharbi, [hmsharbi@uqu.edu.sa](hmsharbi@uqu.edu.sa)[ ](hmsharbi@uqu.edu.sa)Vetriselvan Subramaniyan, subramaniyan.vetriselvan@ [monash.edu](monash.edu) RECEIVED 11 August 2023 ACCEPTED 20 November 2023 PUBLISHED 04 January 2024 CITATION Alharbi HM, Alqahtani T, Alamri AH, Kumarasamy V, Subramaniyan V and Babu KS (2024), Nanotechnological synergy of mangiferin and curcumin in modulating PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway: a novel front in ovarian cancer precision therapeutics. Front. Pharmacol. 14:1276209 . doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1276209 COPYRIGHT © 2024 Alharbi, Alqahtani, Alamri, Kumarasamy, Subramaniyan and Babu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Nanotechnological synergy of mangiferin and curcumin in modulating PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway: a novel front in ovarian cancer precision therapeutics Hanan M. Alharbi 1*, Taha Alqahtani 2, Ali H. Alamri 3, Vinoth Kumarasamy 4*, Vetriselvan Subramaniyan 5, 6* and K. Suresh Babu 7 1Department of Pharmaceutical sciences, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, 2Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia, 3Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia, 4Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 5Pharmacology Unit, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia, 6Center for Transdisciplinary Research, Department of Pharmacology, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, 7Department of Biochemistry, Symbiosis Medical College for Women, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, India Background: Ovarian cancer, colloquially termed the “silent killer” among gynecological malignancies, remains elusive due to its often-asymptomatic progression and diagnostic challenges. Central to its pathogenesis is the overactive PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, responsible for various cellular functions, from proliferation to survival. Within this context, the phytochemical compounds mangiferin (derived from Mangifera indica) and curcumin (from Curcuma longa) stand out for their potential modulatory effects. However, their inherent bioavailability challenges necessitate innovative delivery systems to maximize therapeutic beneﬁts. Objective: This study seeks to synergize the merits of nanotechnology with the therapeutic properties of mangiferin and curcumin, aiming to bolster their efﬁcacy against ovarian cancer. Methods: Employing speciﬁc nanotechnological principles, we engineered exosomal and liposomal nano-carriers for mangiferin and curcumin, targeting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Molecular docking techniques mapped the interactions of these phytochemicals with key proteins in the pathway, analyzing their binding efﬁciencies. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations, sp

FAQs

Why is the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway important in ovarian cancer?

The PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway is described as overactive in ovarian cancer and is linked to key cellular functions such as proliferation and survival, driving disease pathogenesis.

How were mangiferin and curcumin delivered to improve therapeutic potential?

The study engineered exosomal and liposomal nano-carriers to protect the compounds from degradation, support controlled release, and enhance cellular uptake.

What computational methods were used to validate the strategy?

Molecular docking mapped interactions between the phytochemicals and key pathway proteins, and molecular dynamics simulations over 100 nanoseconds verified interaction stability and conformational changes.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Jiven