Investigating the Mechanism of the Fuling(Poria)-Yiyiren(Coicis Semen)Herb Pair in Treating Hyperuricemia Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking
ZHAO Geng
CAO Jialu
YUAN Wenzheng
ZHENG Bingyuan
LIANG Ke
QIAO Tie
Abstract：Objective To elucidate the pharmacological and molecular mechanisms of the active components contained in the herb pair of Poria cum Radix Pini(Fuling)and Coicis Semen(Yiyiren),as well as their interactions with gene targets and pathways related to hyperuricemia,this study utilized network pharmacology and big data mining techniques to explore the pharmacodynamic material basis and potential pharmacological mechanisms of the Fuling(Poria)-Yiyiren(Coicis Semen)herb pair in treating hyperuricemia.Methods The active components and their corresponding targets of Poria cum Radix Pini(Fuling)and Coicis Semen(Yiyiren)were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP).Disease-related targets of hyperuricemia were screened using the GeneCards,CTD,and OMIM databases.Common targets between the herb pair and the disease were identified.A protein-protein interaction(PPI)network was constructed using the STRING database to screen core targets,and a"herb-component-target"network diagram was plotted.Gene ontology(GO)functional annotation and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analyses of the common targets were performed using the DAVID database.Finally,molecular docking validation of the core targets and major active components was conducted using AutoDock software.Results A total of 12 active components of the Fuling(Poria)-Yiyiren(Coicis Semen)herb pair and 132 common targets with the disease were identified.Among them,five core targets serine/threonine-protein kinase 1(AKT1),tumor necrosis factor(TNF),interleukin-6(IL-6),peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ(PPARG),and epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)were identified as potential key targets for the treatment of hyperuricemia.GO biological processes primarily included the regulation of steroid and lipid metabolism,as well as ligand-activated transcription factor activity.KEGG pathway analysis indicated that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B(PI3K-Akt)signaling pathway,insulin resistance,lipid and atherosclerosis,metabolism,and cancer-related pathways may be associated with its mechanism of action.The major active components exhibited strong binding affinity with the core targets.Conclusion The Fuling(Poria)-Yiyiren(Coicis Semen)herb pair may exert its uric acid-lowering effects by acting on targets such as AKT1,TNF,IL-6,PPARG,and EGFR through active components such as cerevisterol,trametenolic acid,and hederagenin,thereby regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway,insulin resistance,lipid and atherosclerosis,cancer,and metabolism-related pathways.
Keywords：network pharmacologymolecular dockingFuling(Poria)Yiyiren(Coicis Semen)herb pairhyperuricemiamedicinal and edible homology
Publication Date：2025-11-20
Online Publishing Date：2026-07-17(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：8( 32-39 )