Abstract
Background: Echinacea purpurea is a medicinal plant recognized for its rich array of bioactive constituents, making it a valuable resource for drug development. However, the potential antitumor effects and underlying mechanisms of Echinacea remain largely unexplored. Methods: This study aims to elucidate the active ingredients, targets, and pathways mediating the anti-lung cancer effects of Echinacea through the lens of network pharmacology and to further validate the efficacy of the extract of Echinacea purpurea against lung cancer in vitro. Results: An 'Echinacea-lung cancer-target' network was constructed using network pharmacology, identifying quercetin, β-sitosterol, rutin, dibutyl phthalate, ferulic acid, and protocatechuic acid as the primary active components contributing to Echinacea's anti-lung cancer activity. These components may exert antitumor effects by modulating key targets, including TP53, AKT1, HSP90AA1, JUN, and IL6, through the PI3K-Akt, MAPK, IL-17, HIF-1, and TNF signaling pathways. Subsequently, MEPT was administered to human lung cancer PC-9 cells, revealing that the Echinacea extract inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and the expression of cell cycle proteins in a concentration- and time-dependent manner while also inducing early apoptosis in tumor cells. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the anti-lung cancer activity of Echinacea operates through a synergistic mechanism involving multiple components, targets, and pathways, potentially leading to cell cycle arrest and the induction of apoptosis.
Published Version
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