A GC-MS and network pharmacology based approach for investigating anti-inflammatory mechanism of compounds extracted from moss Barbula constricta

Mosses are one of the simplest autotrophic cryptogams invading land and are characterized by erect habits, lacking true leaves, roots and stems within the plant body. Due to their versatile tolerance and resistance capability, they have become an indispensable component of vegetation and constitute one of the most important parts of the biodiversity in mountains, wetlands, moist forests and tundra ecosystems. These tiny plants also act as a "remarkable reservoir" of natural products and can also synthesize various primary and secondary metabolites which are comparable to those in vascular plants. These metabolites have high biological properties and could become a potential source for treating various diseases. The present investigation was carried out to analyze the phytochemical compounds present in the moss Barbula constricta, with the use of a network pharmacology approach to detect its anti-inflammatory potential. The moss species was collected from its natural habitat for preparation of the plant extract, which was carried out using a solvent extraction method. The analysis was carried out using a Shimadzu QP 2010 Ultra gas chromatograph interfaced with a quadrupole mass spectrometer. From the obtained results, it was observed that these plants contain aliphatic fatty acids, terpenes, steroids and other primary and secondary metabolites. Some of the observed compounds have shown anti-inflammatory activity, which increases their phytochemical potential and their importance in drug and pharmaceutical industries.