Mechanism of active components in Pulsatilla chinensis against bacterial enteritis based on network pharmacology

WANG Xueying; CHEN Hongquan; WANG Quan; PEI Qiuting; LIU Jin

doi:10.13557/j.cnki.issn1002-2813.2026.01.017

Abstract：This study aimed to explore the mechanism of the main active components in Pulsatilla chinensis for the prevention and treatment of bacterial enteritis using a network pharmacology approach.The main active components of Pulsatilla chinensis were screened using the TCMSP and SwissADME databases.Their potential targets were collected from TCMSP,SwissTarget,and PharmMapper databases.Disease targets related to bacterial enteritis were retrieved from the GeneCards,DisGeNET,and OMIM databases.A protein-protein interaction(PPI)network was constructed using the STRING database and Cytoscape software to screen core targets.Gene Ontology(GO)functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the DAVID database.Molecular docking validation was conducted using AutoDock Vina.The results showed that the experiment identified 10 main active components in Pulsatilla chinensis,including isorhamnetin and aureusidin,and screened 64 core targets.Key targets involved tumor protein p53(TP53),epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR),protein kinase B(AKT1),SRC proto-oncogene(SRC),signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3),heat shock protein 90 α family class A member 1(HSP90AA1),and tumor necrosis factor(TNF).KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated that the core targets were primarily involved in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B(PI3K-Akt),mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK),and forkhead box O(FoxO)signaling pathways.Molecular docking demonstrated strong binding affinity between active components like isorhamnetin and the key targets.The study shows that Pulsatilla chinensis may act on key targets such as TNF,EGFR,and AKT1 through various active ingredients such as isorhamnetin and aureusidin,regulate signaling pathways such as PI3K-Akt,MAPK,and FoxO,and exert anti-inflammatory,anti apoptotic,and autophagic effects,thereby achieving the prevention and treatment of bacterial enteritis.