Molecular Docking Studies of Bombax ceiba (Shalmali) Phytochemicals Against Stress-response Targets of Candida albicans

Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen responsible for various superficial and systemic infections, and the increasing incidence of antifungal resistance has created a need for novel therapeutic agents. The present study investigated the antifungal potential of phytochemicals from Bombax ceiba (Shalmali) against key stress-response proteins of C. albicans using an in-silico molecular docking approach. Selected bioactive compounds were screened against HOG1, CAP1, GPX3, TSA1, and TRX1 proteins using PyRx, followed by interaction visualization in PyMOL and pharmacokinetic evaluation through SwissADME. Among the tested compounds, digoxigenin exhibited the strongest binding affinity towards HOG1 (−9.0 kcal/mol) and showed significant interactions with other target proteins. ADMET analysis revealed favorable drug-like properties and good gastrointestinal absorption of the lead compounds. The findings suggest that phytochemicals from Bombax ceiba, particularly digoxigenin, possess promising antifungal potential and may serve as candidates for further experimental validation and drug development against Candida albicans infections.