Study on Mechanism of Feizhu Powder for Prevention and Treatment of Deficiency of Qi and Blood in Sows Based on Network Pharmacology and Animal Experiments

GAO Tiantian; LIU Xuesong; LIU Yongti; QIU Zongsheng; LIU Yishan; LI Shuxin; QI Jingjing; LI Ya'nan; WEI Chengwei; MA Tianwen

doi:10.15933/j.cnki.1004-3268.2025.04.012

Abstract：In order to screen the action targets of the traditional Chinese veterinary medicine Feizhu powder for preventing and treating deficiency of Qi and blood in sows and explore its molecular mechanism,the active ingredients of the formula of Feizhu powder,their action targets,and the action targets of Qi and blood deficiency were studied,their intersection targets were obtained,and a network of the intersection targets of active ingredients of Feizhu powder and deficiency of Qi and blood was constructed.GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were carried out on the intersection targets,and a network of the core ingredients and core targets and signaling pathways of Feizhu powder was constructed.Molecular docking analysis was performed on the core ingredients and core targets to screen the key targets and signaling pathways of Feizhu powder.Male KM mice were selected,and randomly divided into control group,Qi and blood deficiency model group,ferrous lactate group,and Feizhu powder group.A Qi and blood deficiency model was established for the latter three groups.The control group and Qi and blood deficiency model group were respectively intragastrically administered with 10 mL/kg normal saline,the ferrous lactate group was intragastrically administered with 10 mg/kg ferrous lactate syrup,and the Feizhu powder group was intragastrically administered with 3 g/kg Feizhu powder.The key targets and pathways of Feizhu powder for preventing and treating Qi and blood deficiency were verified through the weight-bearing test of mice,detection of blood indexes,organ indexes,and candidate proteins.The results showed that 29 active ingredients of Feizhu powder were obtained,and 112 intersection targets of active ingredients of Feizhu powder and Qi and blood deficiency were identified.Eleven core ingredients such as daidzein,kaempferol,luteolin and β-sitosterol were screened out,and eleven core targets such as PTGS2,PTGS1,HSP90AA1,PRKACA,and TNF were identified.The results of GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the active ingredients of Feizhu powder were mainly enriched in items such as binding of protein,binding of enzyme,cytoplasm,nuclear plasm,inflammatory response and response to exogenous stimuli.A total of 26 signaling pathways were enriched,including the IL-17 pathway,the regulation of adipocyte lipolysis and the ovarian steroidogenesis pathway,etc.Molecular docking analysis results showed that the binding energies of the core ingredients and core targets were all less than-8 kcal/mol,indicating that the core ingredients and core targets had strong binding activity.The results of the mouse experiment showed that,compared with the Qi and blood deficiency model group,the weight-bearing swimming time of mice of ferrous lactate group and Feizhu powder group significantly increased,the numbers of white blood cells and red blood cells and the hemoglobin content all significantly increased;the spleen index and thymus index all significantly increased,and the protein expression levels of IL-17 and TNF-α in the spleen tissues all significantly decreased.In conclusion,the core ingredients of the traditional Chinese veterinary medicine Feizhu powder are daidzein,kaempferol,luteolin,β-sitosterol,etc.,and the core targets are PTGS2,PTGS1,HSP90AA1,PRKACA,TNF,etc.,which play important roles in preventing and treating Qi and blood deficiency in sows through signaling pathways such as IL-17.