Integrative Bioinformatics Analysis of Boswellic Acid–Responsive Genes and Pathways from Medicinal Plant Boswellia serrata Implicated in Alzheimer’s Disease

Boswellic acids, the major bioactive constituents of Boswellia species, have gained increasing attention due to their anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. Considering the growing prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and the limited effectiveness of current therapeutic approaches, identifying novel molecular targets influenced by natural compounds has become an important research priority. This study employed an integrative bioinformatics framework to characterize genes and pathways modulated by different boswellic acid derivatives, including boswellic acid, 11-keto-boswellic acid, and acetyl-11-keto-boswellic acid. Gene mining and cross-referencing with Alzheimer’s-related datasets revealed multiple target genes associated with apoptosis, oxidative stress regulation, inflammation, and autophagy. Chromosomal mapping indicated that chromosomes 1, 14, 17, and 18 harbor key genes—including BCL2, BCL2L1, and TNF—that function as central regulatory hubs in apoptosis and cytokine-mediated signaling. Phylogenetic clustering performed using MEGA demonstrated that boswellic-acid-responsive genes form distinct functional groups related to caspase activation, MAPK signaling, mitochondrial stress, and autophagy regulation. Enrichment analysis further showed significant involvement of these genes in pathways such as Spinocerebellar Ataxia and Autophagy, suggesting potential roles in neuronal survival and stability. A network pathway map generated in Python illustrated multi-target interactions across apoptosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell-cycle control, emphasizing the coordinated regulatory effects of boswellic acids. Collectively, these findings highlight the potential of boswellic acids to modulate interconnected molecular processes relevant to AD pathology. The identified candidate genes and pathways provide a strong basis for future experimental validation and support the potential development of boswellic-acid-based therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases.