Molecular Mechanism of the Asarum–Angelica Drug Pair in the Treatment of Periodontitis Based on Network Pharmacology and Experimental Verification

Abstract

(1) To examine the potential mechanism of the Asarum–Angelica drug pair against periodontitis and provide an experimental basis for the treatment of periodontitis with herbal medicine. (2) The core components and core targets of the Asarum–Angelica drug pair in the treatment of periodontitis were detected according to network pharmacology methods. Finally, the effect of the Asarum–Angelica drug pair on osteogenic differentiation was observed in mouse embryonic osteoblast precursor cells. (3) According to the results of network pharmacology, there are 10 potential active ingredients in the Asarum–Angelica drug pair, and 44 potential targets were obtained by mapping the targets with periodontitis treatment. Ten potential active ingredients, such as kaempferol and β-sitosterol, may play a role in treating periodontitis. Cell experiments showed that the Asarum–Angelica drug pair can effectively promote the expression of osteoblast markers alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Runt-related Transcription Factor 2 (RUNX2), and BCL2 mRNA and protein in an inflammatory environment (p < 0.05). (4) Network pharmacology effectively analyzed the molecular mechanism of Asarum–Angelica in the treatment of periodontitis, and the Asarum–Angelica drug pair can promote the differentiation of osteoblasts.