A network pharmacology study on the triterpene saponins fromMedicago sativaL. for the treatment of Neurodegenerative diseases

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are characterized by progressive and irreversible, is a kind of complex illnesses, and the long‐term therapy which is frequently associated with adverse side effects. Medicago sativa L., widely consumed as a vegetable, has the effects of improving memory and relieving central nervous system diseases. However, there are less studies on its specific mechanism for NDDs. In this investigation, we applied a method of network pharmacology, which combined molecular docking and network analysis to decipher the mechanisms of M. sativa in NDDs. The pharmacological system generated 55 triterpene saponins from M. sativa, and predicted 27 potential targets with 100 pathways in the treatment of NDDs. As a result, 13 compounds, 10 target proteins, and 6 signaling pathways were found to play important roles in the treatment of NDDs. In addition, in vitro experiments of isolates confirmed activities for NDDs, which were consistent with the results of network pharmacology prediction. Practical applications Medicago sativa L. has been widely consumed as a vegetable, which possesses many nutritional components. As a functional food stuff, M. sativa can improve human health, such as memory improving activities, relieving central nervous system diseases, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and anti‐inflammatory. In this article, the mechanism of triterpene saponins from M. sativa against NDDs was successfully predicted by network pharmacology method. The results will serve as a reference of M. sativa against NDDs.

WITHDRAWN: Network Pharmacology-based to Investigate Pharmacological Mechanisms of Active Ingredients in Gegen Qinlian Pill to Ameliorate Irinotecan-induced Diarrhea

“…To date, based on serum pharmacochemistry, research on the components in the serum could provide an effective methodology to identify active constituents in vivo from Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) [13,14]. Additionally, network pharmacology has been widely used to explore the molecular mechanisms of TCM, based on system biology and multidirectional pharmacology [15,16]. However, the majority of studies of network pharmacology used compounds from databases to explore the involved targets and pathways [4,17].…”

WITHDRAWN: Network Pharmacology-based to Investigate Pharmacological Mechanisms of Active Ingredients in Gegen Qinlian Pill to Ameliorate Irinotecan-induced Diarrhea

“…To date, based on serum pharmacochemistry, research on the components in the serum could provide an effective methodology to identify active constituents in vivo from Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) [13,14]. Additionally, network pharmacology has been widely used to explore the molecular mechanisms of TCM, based on system biology and multidirectional pharmacology [15,16].…”

Molecular Cloning and Functional Identification of a Squalene Synthase Encoding Gene from Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

“…The biological activities of saponins depend on the aglycone structure and the composition of the carbohydrate side-chains [24]. In recent years, 55 triterpene saponins have been found in alfalfa [25] and some have been demonstrated to have promising activities for pharmacological applications, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities [26,27,28]. From the nutritional point of view, the saponin activities, such as foaming properties, hemolytic and antimicrobial properties, throat-irritating effects and modulatory effects on the permeability of the intestinal membrane, are of the greatest importance because these features affect microbial fermentation and the digestion efficiency of alfalfa [29].…”