Systematic analysis of the mechanism of aged citrus peel (Chenpi) in oral squamous cell carcinoma treatment via network pharmacology, molecular docking and experimental validation

Network pharmacology: an efficient but underutilized approach in oral, head and neck cancer therapy-a review

The application of network pharmacology (NP) has advanced our understanding of the complex molecular mechanisms underlying diseases, including neck, head, and oral cancers, as well as thyroid carcinoma. This review aimed to explore the therapeutic potential of natural network pharmacology using compounds and traditional Chinese medicines for combating these malignancies. NP serves as a pivotal tool that provides a comprehensive view of the interactions among compounds, genes, and diseases, thereby contributing to the advancement of disease treatment and management. In parallel, this review discusses the significance of publicly accessible databases in the identification of oral, head, and neck cancer-specific genes. These databases, including those for head and neck oral cancer, head and neck cancer, oral cancer, and genomic variants of oral cancer, offer valuable insights into the genes, miRNAs, drugs, and genetic variations associated with these cancers. They serve as indispensable resources for researchers, clinicians, and drug developers, contributing to the pursuit of precision medicine and improved treatment of these challenging malignancies. In summary, advancements in NP could improve the globalization and modernization of traditional medicines and prognostic targets as well as aid in the development of innovative drugs. Furthermore, this review will be an eye-opener for researchers working on drug development from traditional medicines by applying NP approaches.

Network pharmacology integrated molecular docking of fucoidan against oral cancer and in vitro evaluation- A study using GEO datasets

Oral cancer is a widespread health concern in rural India due to a lack of awareness, delayed diagnosis and limited access to affordable treatment options. The current chemotherapy has notable side effects, underscoring the need for new drug candidates with improved bioavailability and specificity. In this current research, fucoidan, a sulphated polysaccharide, was extracted from the brown algae Spatoglossum asperum, and shown to be cytotoxic in vitro against oral cancer cells (KB cell line) at an IC50 of 107.76 µg/ml, suggesting its potential as a drug candidate. This study further aimed to explore the potential therapeutic implications of fucoidan in managing oral cancer using network pharmacology. PharmMapper, Comparative Toxicogenomics Database and SuperPred were initially used to identify fucoidan protein targets. The identified targets were further screened against Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE23558, GSE25099 and GSE146483), OMIM, TCGA and GeneCards datasets to identify oral cancer-specific protein targets. The interactions between the selected proteins were visualised using STRING and Cytoscape. Subsequently, Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery was used for gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis of candidate targets. The cancer-related network was assessed using CancerGeneNet, while life expectancy based on the expression of the top 10 CytoHubba ranked hub genes was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier plots. Finally, EGFR, AKT1, HSP90AA1 and SRC were selected for docking and molecular dynamics simulation with fucoidan, using Maestro and GROMACS, respectively.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Prospects for the application of traditional Chinese medicine network pharmacology in food science research

There has always been a particular difficulty with in-depth research on the mechanisms of food nutrition and bioactivity. The main function of food is to meet the nutritional needs of the human body, rather than to exert a therapeutic effect. Its relatively modest biological activity makes it difficult to study from the perspective of general pharmacological models. With the popularity of functional foods and the concept of dietary therapy, and the development of information and multi-omics technology in food research, research into these mechanisms is moving towards a more microscopic future. Network pharmacology has accumulated nearly 20 years of research experience in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and there has been no shortage of work from this perspective on the medicinal functions of food. Given the similarity between the concept of 'multi-component-multi-target' properties of food and TCM, we think that network pharmacology is applicable to the study of the complex mechanisms of food. Here we review the development of network pharmacology, summarize its application to 'medicine and food homology', and propose a methodology based on food characteristics for the first time, demonstrating its feasibility for food research. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparison of the Chemical Components, Efficacy and Mechanisms of Action of Chrysanthemum morifolium Flower and Its Wild Relative Chrysanthemum indicum Flower against Liver-Fire Hyperactivity Syndrome of Hypertension via Integrative Analyses

To clarify the differences in the clinical application scope of Chrysanthemum morifolium flower (CMF) and Chrysanthemum indicum flower (CIF), two herbs of similar origin, an integrated strategy of network pharmacology, molecular pharmacology, and metabolomics was employed, with a view to investigating the commonalities and dissimilarities in chemical components, efficacy and mechanisms of action. Initial HPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis revealed that CMF and CIF had different flavonoid constituents. The biological processes underlying the therapeutic effects of CMF and CIF on liver-fire hyperactivity syndrome of hypertension (LFHSH) were predicted to be related to inflammatory response, fatty acid production, and other pathways based on network pharmacology analysis. ELISA, molecular docking, Western blot, and metabolomics techniques showed similar effects of CMF and CIF in lowering blood pressure, resistance to tissue, organ and functional damage, and dyslipidemia. However, distinct effects were found in the regulation of inflammatory response, PI3K-Akt and NF-κB signaling pathways, lipid anabolism, renin-angiotensin system, and metabolic abnormalities. The comparable efficacies of CMF and CIF, despite having distinct mechanisms of action, may be attributed to the integration and counteraction of their different regulating capabilities on the above anti-LFHSH mechanisms. This study offers a vital platform for assessment of differential and precise applications of herbs of close origin with similar but slightly different medicinal properties, and provides a research strategy for bridging Chinese medicine and modern precision medicine.

Identification of Crucial Polymethoxyflavones Tangeretin and 3,5,6,7,8,3′,4′-Heptamethoxyflavone and Evaluation of Their Contribution to Anticancer Effects of Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae ‘Chachi’ during Storage

Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae ‘Chachi’ (PCR-C), rich in polymethoxyflavones (PMFs), has potential anticancer bioactivity and its quality will be improved during storage. However, the main factors influencing the PCR-C quality during its storage remain unclear. In this study, multivariate analysis was performed to investigate free and bound PMFs of PCR-C during storage. The anticancer effects of purified PCR-C flavonoid extracts (PCR-CF) and the important PMFs were evaluated using A549 cells. The results showed that PCR-C samples exhibited remarkable differences in free PMFs during storage, which fell into three clusters: Cluster 1 included fresh (fresh peel) and PCR-C01 (year 1); Cluster 2 consisted of PCR-C03 (year 3) and PCR-C05 (year 5); and PCR-C10 (year 10) was Cluster 3. 3,5,6,7,8,3′,4′-heptamethoxyflavone, tangeretin, and isosinensetin were identified as the most important PMFs distinguishing the various types of PCR-C according to its storage periods. Moreover, PCR-CF inhibited A549 cell proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase, cell apoptosis, and ROS accumulation, and all anticancer indices had an upward tendency during storage. Additionally, tangeretin and 3,5,6,7,8,3′,4′-heptamethoxyflavone exhibited anticancer effects on A549 cells, whereas isosinensetin displayed no anticancer effect, indicating that tangeretin and 3,5,6,7,8,3′,4′-heptamethoxyflavone jointly contributed to anticancer activity of PCR-C during storage. PCR-CF and the most important PMFs killed cancer cells (A549 cells) but had no cytotoxicity to normal lung fibroblast cells (MRC-5 cells). Overall, the high quality of long-term stored PCR-C might be due to the anticancer effects of tangeretin and 3,5,6,7,8,3′,4′-heptamethoxyflavone.

Insights into toxicity of polychlorinated naphthalenes to multiple human endocrine receptors: Mechanism and health risk analysis

This study explored the combined disruption mechanism of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) on the three key receptors (estrogen receptor, thyroid receptor, and adrenoceptor) of the human endocrine system. The intensity of PCN endocrine disruption on these receptors was first determined using a molecular docking method. A comprehensive index of PCN endocrine disruption to human was quantified by analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy analysis. The mode of action between PCNs and the receptors was further identified to screen the molecular characteristics influencing PCN endocrine disruption through molecular docking and fractional factorial design. Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models were established to investigate the toxic mechanism due to PCN endocrine disruption. The results showed that the lowest occupied orbital energy (E_LUMO) was the most important factor contributing to the toxicity of PCNs on the endocrine receptors, followed by the orbital energy difference (ΔE) and positive Millikan charge (q⁺). Furthermore, the strategies were formulated through adjusting the nutritious diet to reduce health risk for the workers in PCN contaminated sites and the effectiveness and feasibility were assessed by molecular dynamic simulation. The simulation results indicated that the human health risk caused by PCN endocrine disruption could be effectively decreased by nutritional supplementation. The binding ability between PCNs and endocrine receptors significantly declined (up to -16.45%) with the supplementation of vitamins (A, B₂, B₁₂, C, and E) and carotene. This study provided the new insights to reveal the toxic mechanism of PCNs on human endocrine systems and the recommendations on nutritional supplements for health risk reduction. The methodology and findings could serve as valuable references for screening of potential endocrine disruptors and developing appropriate strategies for PCN or other persistent organic pollution control and health risk management.