Application of network pharmacology and molecular docking to elucidate the potential mechanism of Eucommia ulmoides-Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae against osteoarthritis

Abstract

Abstract Background Osteoarthritis is a disabling disease, which seriously affects the quality of life of patients. Increasing evidence has indicated that Chinese herbal medicine including Eucommia ulmoides (EU) and Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae (RAB) have potential in the treatment of osteoarthritis, and this is associated with their multi-target and multi-link action characteristics. Although their potential anti-arthritic activity has been reported, the exact mechanism of EU-RAB action in osteoarthritis remains unexplored. Therefore, this study explores the mechanism of EU-RAB against osteoarthritis using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology. Methods Public databases including TCMSP、BATMAN-TCM、OMIM and Genecards were used to predict the bioactive ingredients and putative targets of EU-RAB against osteoarthritis. Enrichment analysis was performed to expound the biological functions and associated pathways of the hub targets. Cytoscape software was used to construct a “compounds-targets-pathways” network for elucidating the comprehensive molecular mechanism of EU-RAB against osteoarthritis. Molecular docking was used to verify the correlation between the main active ingredients and hub targets. Results Network pharmacological analysis of EU-RAB in the treatment of osteoarthritis, identified 50 active ingredients including quercetin, kaempferol, wogonin, and baicalein with important biological effect. A total of 68 key targets were screened, including IL-6, EGFR, MAPK8, etc., and they were found to be enriched in a series of signaling pathways, such as apoptosis, TNF, MAPK, PI3K/AKT, and IL-17 signaling pathways. Moreover, molecular docking analysis showed that the main ingredients were tightly bound to the core targets, further confirming the anti-arthritic effects. Conclusion Based on network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis, the present study provides insights into the potential mechanism of EU-RAB in osteoarthritis after successfully screening for associated key target genes and signaling pathways. These findings further provide a theoretical basis for further pharmacological research into the potential mechanism of EU-RAB in osteoarthritis.