IN SILICO EVALUATION OF ANTIDIABETIC POTENTIAL OF RUSSELIA EQUISETIFORMIS PHYTOCHEMICALS VIA MOLECULAR DOCKING AND ADMET ANALYSIS

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus represents one of the most challenging metabolic disorders of the 21st century, affecting approximately 537 million adults globally. The search for novel therapeutic agents from natural sources has gained significant momentum, particularly focusing on plantderived bioactive compounds with multitarget antidiabetic potential. Russelia equisetiformis (Scrophulariaceae), commonly known as the  Firecracker plant, has been traditionally employed in Mexican and Nigerian folk medicine for the management of type 2 diabetesmellitus, yet its phytochemical constituents remain largely unexplored through computational approaches.