Study on the Anti-Asthmatic Activity and Mechanism of Cistanches Herba Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking

This study combines network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques to deeply explore the underlying mechanism of Cistanches Herba, a characteristic ethnic medicine in Xinjiang, in the anit-asthma, aiming to offer a solid scientific theoretical basis for its clinical treatment and drug application. Methods: The main active components of Cistanches Herba were screened through the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and literature data. The related target prediction and analysis were conducted with the help of the Swiss Target Prediction database. GeneCards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) databases were employed to screen relevant targets for anti-asthma, the Venn diagram was calculated and drawn by the Venn webtool, and the protein-protein interaction network diagram was Build in the String database. The key common targets were imported into DAVID database for Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis and the construction of “active constituents of Cistanches Herba –target–asthma–KEGG pathway” network were carried out by using Cytoscape 3.10.0 software. The key components of Cistanches Herba and its crucial targets were verified through molecular docking using the AutoDock technology. Results: Six active components, including β-sitosterol and arachidonic acid, were screened out from Cistanches Herba. They exert significant anti-asthma effects by controlling signal transduction through predictive biological targets such as IFNG, TNF, BCL2 and TP53 and enrichment pathways such as PTGER2, CD14, IL10 and JUN. Molecular docking analysis testified that the potential key active components such as suzinolide, quercetin, and fomamycin could stably bind to the key target proteins of TNF, IL1B and IFNG. Conclusion: This study identified the key anti-Asthma components of Cistanches Herba and preliminarily verified the target and the anti-asthmatic mechanism, providing certain references for the research on the mechanism underlying the anti-asthmatic effects of Cistanches Herba.