Exploring Aloin’s Potential Role in the Treatment of Brucellosis through Bioinformatics Analysis

Background: Brucellosis, also called Malta fever, is a zoonotic infection caused by Brucella species. Each year it affects hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. The burden is high in endemic areas such as Iran. The disease can lead to prolonged inflammation and tissue injury, and it can disturb immune function. Standard therapy relies on antibiotics such as doxycycline and rifampin. These regimens often last for weeks and may cause side effects. Because of these limits, many groups now study natural compounds as add-on or adjunct options. Aloin is a major anthraquinone glycoside from Aloe vera. It shows anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial activity. In this study, we used bioinformatics tools to see how aloin might influence human proteins that shape brucellosis. Methods: We used SwissTargetPrediction to identify ۱۲۳ possible human protein targets for aloin. We then pulled ۹۶۰ brucellosis-related proteins from the Open Targets Platform. Comparison in Venny ۲.۱ returned ۲۰ shared proteins. To map their relationships, we built a protein-protein interaction network in STRING. We ran Gene Ontology and KEGG enrichment to find the main biological processes and pathways. The approach is simple, and it suits a first pass. Results: The network showed dense internal links. GAPDH, MMP۹, and MMP۲ stood out as central nodes. These proteins are involved in metabolism, inflammation, and tissue repair. Enrichment highlighted IL-۱۷ signaling, extracellular matrix turnover, nitrogen metabolism, and cellular stress responses. Prior work shows that GAPDH can help Brucella survive inside host cells. MMP۹ and MMP۲ can promote spread and organ injury, mainly in the liver and joints. Our analysis suggests that aloin may interact with these proteins and could dampen inflammation and slow bacterial spread. Conclusion: These findings point to aloin as a candidate support for current brucellosis care. By acting on GAPDH, MMP۹, and MMP۲, it may help control inflammation, protect tissue, and limit persistence. Follow-up work in cells and animals is needed to test these ideas and assess practical use.

کلیدواژه ها:

Aloin ، Brucellosis ، Bioinformatics ، Aloe vera ، Protein-protein interaction ، Natural compounds