Abstract:
In order to explore the mechanism of Echinacea purpurea in enhancing immunity based on network pharmacology, the active ingredients of Echinacea purpurea were collected from NAPSS and Phytochem platform, and the related targets of immunosuppression were collected from NCBI database. The intersection of drug and disease targets can be used to predict the immune function of Echinacea purpurea. Cytoscape 3.7.2 software was used to map the active ingredients-target network, and String database was used to construct the protein interaction(PPI) network. GO enrichment analysis was performed in Metascape database to predict the biological process of Echinacea purpurea enhancing immunity, and KEGG pathway analysis was performed to predict the related signaling pathways. The results showed that 34 active components of Echinacea purpurea that can enhance immune function and 27 action targets were obtained, including caffeic acid, ferulic acid, p-coumaric-acid, protocatechuic acid, quercetin and rutin. In PPI network, there were 9 targets with an average degree value greater than 7.48, which were STAT3, TNF, CCND1, MTOR, IL-2, TLR4, RELA, TLR9 and EZH2. GO enrichment analysis involved positive regulation of kinase activity, positive regulation of transferase activity, positive regulation of bacteria-derived molecules, positive regulation of external stimulus response, leukocyte differentiation, apoptosis signaling pathway, neuron death and so on. KEGG pathway analysis involved proteoglycan in cancer, P13 K-Akt signaling pathway, Ras signaling pathway, regulation of stem cell pluripotency signaling pathway, mTOR signaling pathway, central carbon metabolism of cancer, AMPK signaling pathway, autophagy regulation and other signaling pathways. It indicated that the prediction of the active ingredients of Echinacea purpurea based on network pharmacology could enhance immunity by regulating transcription factors, immune cells and inflammatory factors.