Volume: 46 Issue: 3
Year: 2026, Page: 190-203, Doi: https://doi.org/10.51248/v46i3.32
Received: March 13, 2026 Accepted: July 18, 2026 Published: Aug. 5, 2026
Insights on the mechanism of colorectal cancer (CRC) development and progression is critical for accurate diagnosis and better treatment. A comprehensive understanding of traditional medicines may contribute to the development of advanced therapeutic approaches. The kanchanara-guggulu (KG) formulation comprising Bauhinia variegata and Commiphora wightii, has been extensively used in the Indian Systems of Medicine for treating intestinal disorders. This study presents data on the potential interactions between compounds of KG and CRC-associated proteins using network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses. Out of 84 compounds of KG that were collected from IMPPAT database, 27 exhibited drug likeness properties. Gene targets for these 27 compounds and CRC were collected respectively from SwissTargetsPrediction and DisGeNET. For the identified 78 mutual targets compound-target network was constructed by Cytoscape 3.9.1 which indicated kaempferol, quercetin, ferulic acid and flavanone as highly interacting compounds. Gene ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed for the targets which yielded 548 GO terms and 137 pathways. Nine key targets were identified based on protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis of 78 targets by STRING and topology analysis. Finally, molecular docking analysis demonstrated strong binding interactions for kaempferol, quercetin, ferulic acid and flavanone against five key targets- STAT3, HSP90AA1, CTNNB1, AKT1 and EGFR. This study provides new insights on the synergistic effect of various bioactive compounds present in KG along with their molecular mode of action against CRC. The data obtained in this study may provide lead to identify potential drug candidate from KG for future therapeutic approaches in CRC.
Keywords: Kanchanara, Guggulu, PPI, KEGG
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Jagan Muniyandi , Lakshmi Sankaranarayanan, Vinoth Vengadesan, Sadras Sudha Rani. Exploring the potential therapeutic mechanism of Bauhinia variegata and Commiphora wightii against colorectal cancer through network pharmacology and docking.Biomedicine: 2026, 46(3): 190-203. https://doi.org/10.51248/v46i3.32