The combined application of Hordeum vulgare and gut microbiota against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease via network pharmacology approach

Abstract

Abstract Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an initial etiology to be developed steatosis, liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the noticeable therapeutics were not elucidated completely to dampen the progressive rate involved in NAFLD. In the incomplete project, we combined secondary metabolites (SMs) from gut microbiota (GM) and Hordeum vulgare (HV) as a representative grain with potent NAFLD to exert combinatorial effects via network pharmacology. Hence, we retrieved the SMs of HV from NPASS (Natural product Activity & Species Source Database) and SMs of GM from gutMGene database. Then, targets associated with SMs were identified from both SEA (Similarity Ensemble Approach) and STP (SwissTargetPrediction). The crucial overlapping targets were identified on NAFLD-related targets through Ven diagram plotter. We constructed the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network from the crucial targets and built a bubble plot to identify a key mechanism on NAFLD. Also, we analyzed microbiota or barley – signaling pathways – targets – metabolites (MBSTM) in aspects of combinatorial approach (HV, and GM). To be confirmed a significant SM against NAFLD, we performed Molecular Docking (MD) with Autodock 1.5.6 to verify the affinity between SMs and targets. Finally, drug-likeness and toxicity properties of key SMs were validated via SwissADME and ADMETlab platform. The number of 31 core targets was analyzed by PPI network, the result of which represented JUN as a key target on NAFLD. The key SM bound stably to JUN were Tryptanthrin from HV. On a bubble plot, we identified that Apelin signaling pathway might be an inhibitive mechanism to relieve NAFLD in the combinatorial approach. On the holistic viewpoints, we analyzed MBSTM to obtain components associated with Apelin signaling pathway. As a result, we found the primary GM to fight NAFLD: Microbiota (Eubacterium limosum; Eggerthella sp. SDG-2; Alistipes indistinctus YIT 12060; Odoribacter laneus YIT 12061; Paraprevotella clara YIT 11840; Paraprevotella xylaniphila YIT 11841). The MD provided what the key SM (Dihydroglycitein, 1,3-Diphenylpropan-2-ol, and Acetic) is on each target (HDAC5, NOS1, and NOS2) related directly to Apelin signaling pathway. Overall, these results suggest that combinatorial application could be an effective tactic for ameliorating NAFLD.