Exploring potato extract as a multifunctional drug carrier

Abstract

As the fourth largest food crop in the world, potato contains abundant bioactive components such as polysaccharides, flavonoids and alkaloids. With natural low toxicity, degradability and structural modifiability, potato extract can serve as an efficient drug carrier. Current cancer chemotherapy is challenged by multidrug resistance, poor biocompatibility of synthetic carriers and insufficient targeting. Developing a green and intelligent drug delivery system using potato extract can break through clinical bottlenecks and realize high-value utilization of agricultural products, showing important scientific and application value. Methods. This study adopted a combined strategy of network pharmacology, molecular docking and ADME/T prediction. Anti-cancer targets of quercetin, α-solanine and chlorogenic acid were screened via databases including SwissTargetPrediction. The component-target-pathway network was constructed with Cytoscape. Molecular docking was performed using CB-Dock2 to verify the binding modes of key compounds and core targets. Drug-likeness and toxicity risks were evaluated by SwissADME to systematically reveal the multi-target mechanism of potato extract. Results. Three key components in potato extract exerted synergistic anti-cancer effects through multiple pathways: quercetin targeted PI3K, EGFR and other proteins to regulate tumor proliferation and apoptosis; α-solanine acted on TOP2A and ACHE to induce DNA damage and promote apoptosis; chlorogenic acid targeted AKT1 and MAOA to reverse drug resistance, exert anti-inflammation and neuroprotection. Molecular docking confirmed stable binding and strong affinity of key complexes. ADME/T prediction indicated favorable drug-likeness. The three-dimensional network structure of the carrier enabled efficient drug loading, controlled release and obvious tumor targeting. Conclusion. Potato extract can be used as a multifunctional natural drug carrier, which inhibits tumors and reverses drug resistance via multi-target and multi-pathway synergistic mechanisms. Its drug delivery system has excellent biocompatibility and targeting ability. This study provides a universal analytical framework for developing natural plant-derived drug systems and theoretical support for high-value utilization of potatoes and green anti-cancer drug research. Further in vitro and in vivo verification and structural optimization of α-solanine are needed to reduce toxicity.