Integrating Network Pharmacology to Explore the Pharmacology Mechanisms of Meliae Cortex Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Objective: Using network pharmacology to study the active ingredients and mechanism of action of Meliae Cortex in the treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, providing theoretical basis for clinical application. Methods: Applying the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) to obtain the active ingredients and targets of Meliae Cortex, Using Genecard (https://genecard, org/) database and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database (http://omim. org/), select " Hepatocellular Carcinoma " as the keyword to search for disease targets of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, After obtaining the intersection targets of Melia azedarach and Hepatocellular Carcinoma using Venny, a common target visualization network diagram was constructed using STRING database and Cytoscape. Realize gene (GO) enrichment analysis and (KEGG) enrichment analysis using the metascape database and microbiome platform. Results: Obtained 15 active ingredients from Meliae Cortex, 5024 Hepatocellular Carcinoma targets, and 32 common targets. GO analysis shows that biological processes mainly involve the regulation of responses to steroid hormones, estradiol, organic compounds, and various chemical and physical stimuli; KEGG enrichment shows that anti-cancer effects are mainly exerted through pathways such as AGE-RAGE and TNF. Conclusion: Using network pharmacology methods, it has been demonstrated that Meliae Cortex exerts therapeutic effects on Hepatocellular Carcinoma through multiple components, targets, and pathways, providing a theoretical basis for clinical application.