Similarity and Specificity of Lianhua Qingwen and Damp-Heat Plague Formula for the Management of Mild COVID-19

Abstract

Lianhua Qingwen (LHQW) and damp-heat plague formula (DHPF) have positive therapeutic outcomes on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to clarify the mechanisms of LHQW and DHPF in COVID-19 treatment, and examined the differences between the 2 formulas in the treatment process. This study is based on systems biology and network pharmacology; the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database and Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine were used to compare information on LHQW and DHPF; the STRING database was used to construct the “protein–protein interaction (PPI)” and protein module networks. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment were used to analyze the intersecting targets of LHQW and DHPF. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis was used to analyze the specific targets of the 2 formulas. Molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation were used to validate the interactions of candidate active compounds and targets. The results show that both LHQW and DHPF alleviate mild COVID-19 by relieving inflammation, increasing immunity, apoptosis, and reducing oxidative stress. Furthermore, Machiline and Estrone in Armeniacae Semen Amarum (Kuxingren) in LHQW can target neurological disease-related genes (ADRA2B, ADRA2C, and DRD2). In contrast, Ellagic acid in Paeoniae Radix Rubra (Chi Shao) in DHPF can target immunity- and inflammation-related genes (GSTA1 and GSTA2). These findings suggest that when translated into clinical applications, LHQW would likely be more potent in treating patients with nervous disorders who experienced mild COVID-19, whereas DHPF would effectively perform antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.