Molecular Targets and Potential Mechanisms of Luteolin Against Cervical Carcinoma: Integrative Approach Combining Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics Simulations, and In Vitro Validation.

Cervical carcinoma ranks among the most prevalent malignant neoplasms in gynecology, distinguished by elevated incidence and fatality rates. Therefore, novel treatment strategies are urgently needed. An effective approach for the revelation of natural active components and their molecular mechanisms was provided by network pharmacology, molecular dynamics simulation, and cell biology methods. Olives contain various bioactive components with antioxidant and antitumor activities. Among these, luteolin, as one of the main natural flavonoids, was proven to possess significant antitumor activity. This research identified C-X-C chemokine Ligand 8 (CXCL8) as a significant target linked to the progression of cervical carcinoma, and luteolin was found to have a strong and stable interaction with CXCL8 that significantly downregulated its expression in HeLa cells. Meanwhile, luteolin could significantly suppressed the proliferation, migration, and lipid droplet formation capacity of HeLa cells. These results suggested that luteolin derived from olives could potentially inhibit HeLa cells through the regulation of CXCL8 and offered a theoretical foundation for the utilization of olive-derived bioactive components in the antitumor treatment of cervical carcinoma.