Network Analysis, and Experimental Validation to Uncover the Mechanism of the Four Compounds in Artemisia Annua (Qing Hao) Antimalarial

Abstract Background Artemisinin is widely used to treat malaria, but the antimalarial mechanism and coordinative interactions governing the actions of artemisinin, scopoletin, arteannuin B and artemisinic acid have not been elucidated. Methods Based on the existence of antimalarial drugs, the antimalaria targets of artemisinin, scopoletin, arteannuin B and artemisinic acid were investigated by molecular docking using the similarity theory of chemical structure, and the antimalaria mechanism of scopoletin and its coordinative antimalaria interactions with the other three ingredients of the mixture were subsequently explored. Results Using the text information excavation method, the relevant proteins involved in the antimalarial effect of artemisinin were determined to be IL-6, ACHE, PC3, IPOB, CYC, TNF-α, UGT1A9, CASP3, XDH, IL-1β, VEGF, CAT, CREB, AMPK, UGT1A6, ADR, MAPK, COX2, LB24AB and CYP450. Meanwhile, the relevant proteins involved in the antimalarial effect of scopoletin were TNF-α, PI3K, IL-8, IL- 6, VEGF, IL-1β, MAPK, CD4, SP2, CTNNB, CASP3, PRO1400, IgE, IL-4, ICAM1, p38, STAT3, TLR4 and API4. However, arteannuin B and artemisinic acid had little relevance to the abovementioned proteins. The interaction property between TNF-α and Artemisia annua was that the effect of the mixture of artemisinin, scopoletin, arteannuin B and artemisinic acid was greater than that of artemisinin, and the synergistic effect of the four elements was considered to be beneficial to the progress of antimalarial treatment. Conclusion Antimalarial targets of Artemisia annua ingredients were explored with data mining methods, and the antimalarial effect of scopoletin may be related to TNF. Combined application of the four elements could achieve the same antimalarial effect and reduce the clinical usage of artemisinin and scopoletin.