Identification of Active Compounds of Pueraria Lobata and their Mechanisms of Action by LC-MS/MS and Network Pharmacology

Abstract

Background: Osteoporosis has become a global public health problem, and Pueraria Lobata (PL) is a potential drug for treating osteoporosis. Methods: Firstly, the components of PL were detected and identified based on UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS. In addition, we used network pharmacology to study the potential mechanism of PL in treating osteoporosis. Result: A total of 48 compounds, including 38 isoflavones, 6 puerosides, and 4 others, were identified by UHPLC-Q Exactive-Orbitrap MS. The network of the pharmacological analysis revealed that 28 compounds of PL regulated 19 pathways through 27 targets, including estrogen signaling pathway and NF-kappa B signaling pathway, etc. Conclusion: This study used LC-MS combined with network pharmacology to identify the compounds of PL and their mechanism of intervention in osteoporosis, which provides a scientific basis for PL to become a functional food for preventing osteoporosis.