Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2023, Vol. 54 ›› Issue (5): 2170-2185.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2023.05.037

• CLINICAL VETERINARY MEDICINE • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Analysis of the Material Basis and Mechanism of Action of Antioxidant Function of Taraxacum mongolicum based on Network Pharmacology

YANG Zihui1,2, DONG Zhen1,2, WU Huilan1,3, TAN Bin1,2, ZENG Jianguo1,2*   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Chinese Veterinary Medicine in Hunan Province, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China;
    2. College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China;
    3. College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
  • Received:2022-10-20 Online:2023-05-23 Published:2023-05-20

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the material basis and potential mechanism of action of the antioxidant function of Taraxacum mongolicum (T. mongolicum) based on network pharmacology and to provide guidance for the development of T. mongolicum as a functional plant extracts feed additive. The active ingredients and potential targets in T. mongolicum were screened by HERB database, TCMSP database and SwissTargetPrediction web tool, and the physicochemical properties of the active ingredients were calculated using SwissADME tool, and the target genes related to antioxidant function were obtained from GeneCards database. Compound-target-function, compound-target-pathway visualization networks and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed using Cytoscape and STRING databases. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed by DAVID database. In vitro antioxidant activities of different extract fractions of T. mongolicum were determined by ABTS and FRAP assays. The screening yielded 28 active ingredients, 296 compound prediction targets, 1 371 antioxidant targets and 135 intersection targets. Physicochemical calculations showed that most of the active ingredients were water soluble. Protein-protein interaction analysis indicated that 20 key proteins, including JUN, VEGFA, SRC, HSP90AA1 and MMP9, may play key roles in antioxidant function. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that antioxidant function may be related to vascular endothelial growth factor pathway, TNF signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway and estrogen signaling pathway. In vitro antioxidant tests showed higher antioxidant activity of aqueous extracts in T. mongolicum. The results suggest that the water-soluble active ingredients in T. mongolicum are the main material basis for its antioxidant function, providing theoretical support for further development of T. mongolicum as an antioxidant functional feed additive.

Key words: Taraxacum mongolicum, network pharmacology, antioxidant, material basis, plant extracts feed additive

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