Network pharmacology-based identification of potential targets of Triterpenoids from Liquidambaris Fructus on the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease, and its exact etiology and pathogenesis are still unclear by now, therefore it is urgent to develop new therapeutic targets for RA treatment. Liquidambaris Fructus (LF) is used for joint pain, numbness and edema, and triterpenoids, the main effective compounds of LF, have a clear anti-inflammatory effect. The aim of this study was to clarify the mechanism of triterpenoids from LF on the treatment of RA. Methods A comprehensive network pharmacology strategy that consists of three sequential modules (pharmacophore matching, enrichment analysis and molecular docking) was carried out. Results We collected 21 triterpenoids from LF and predicted 61 targets strongly correlated with 15 biological processes and 8 related pathways. SYK and MAPK14 were key targets related to triterpenoids from LF and RA. LCK and GSK3B were potential targets and two effective triterpenoids from LF played a crucial role in the process of RA by targeting LCK and GSK3B. Conclusions The comprehensive strategy can serve as a universal method to illuminate the mechanism of triterpenoids from LF acting on treatment of RA by identifying the targets and pathways, and provided new ideas for RA treatment and evidence for clinical research and application of LF.