Asian Journal
Of Traditional Medicines

Abstract:

This study explored the anti-breast cancer (BC) mechanism of Curcuma zedoaria (CZ) via the network pharmacology approach.  The active components of CZ were screened by oral bioavailability (OB) and drug-likeness (DL) criteria using the Traditional  Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP). The potential targets of CZ were predicted through TCMSP and SwissTargetPrediction, while BC-related target genes were screened via GeneCards and the Online  Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database. The common target genes of CZ and BC were obtained by using the Venn tool.  The protein interaction network diagram was constructed by using String software. The network diagram of CZ components was  created by using Cytoscape 3.8.0. The intersection genes of drugs and diseases were analyzed by using the R language software for Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. Finally, the  docking activity between the active ingredient and the key target was verified through molecular docking. Through the methods  of database search and literature mining, 23 bio-active components of CZ and 370 corresponding gene targets, 1776 disease  gene targets, and 132 drug-disease intersection genes were obtained. GO analysis revealed 67 types of cellular components, 113  molecular functions, and 2042 biological processes. KEGG analysis identified 138 enriched pathways. This study preliminarily elucidated the potential mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of CZ on BC. 

Key words: Curcuma zedoaria (CZ), breast cancer (BC), network pharmacology, mechanism of action