Study on the effect and mechanism of Polygoni Orientalis Fructus on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease based on network pharmacology and experimental validation

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Author: GAO Shuchang ^1, ² HAN Danrui ^1, ² MA Donglai ³  WANG Xiaona ³  DUAN Xuhong ^1, ²

Affiliation: 1.College of Pharmacy, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang 050200, China 2.Hebei Technical Innovation Center of Chinese Materia Medica Processing, Shijiazhuang 050200, China 3.Experimental Center, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang 050200, China

Keywords: Polygoni Orientalis Fructus NAFLD Network pharmacology Molecular docking Signaling pathway Mechanism of action Zebrafish model Lipid metabolism

DOI: 10.12173/j.issn.2097-4922.202601077

Reference: GAO Shuchang, HAN Danrui, MA Donglai, WANG Xiaona, DUAN Xuhong.Study on the effect and mechanism of Polygoni Orientalis Fructus on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease based on network pharmacology and experimental validation[J]. Yaoxue QianYan Zazhi, 2026, 30(6): 901-909.DOI: 10.12173/j.issn.2097-4922.202601077[Article in Chinese]  Copied

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Abstract

Objective To investigate the effect and potential mechanism of Polygoni Orientalis Fructus on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by using bioinformatics analysis techniques and zebrafish model experiments.

Methods Based on the database resources, a "chemical component- intersection target-pathway" network between Polygoni Orientalis Fructus and NAFLD was constructed to screen the therapeutic targets and key components of Polygoni Orientalis Fructus in the treatment of NAFLD, and further verification was performed via molecular docking and animal experiments.

Results A total of 11 key components and 287 therapeutic targets of Polygoni Orientalis Fructus for NAFLD were screened out, suggesting that tumor necrosis factor (TNF), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2), protein kinase Bα (AKT1), etc. were the core targets and phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3K)-AKT was the key signaling pathway. Molecular docking results showed that quercetin, kaempferol and chrysoeriol formed stable bindings with the core target proteins. Animal experiments indicated that Polygoni Orientalis Fructus could ameliorate hepatic steatosis and structural damage in NAFLD zebrafish, reduce the levels of total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG), and increase the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C).

Conclusion Through network pharmacology, molecular docking and experimental verification, it is preliminarily clarified that Polygoni Orientalis Fructus exerts a therapeutic effect on NAFLD through multi- components, multi-pathways and multi-targets, which provides a certain reference for its clinical application.

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