Exploration of the anti-liver injury active components of Shaoyao Gancao decoction by network pharmacology and experiments in vivo.

Background: Shaoyao Gancao decoction (SGD), a classic traditional Chinese herbal formula, has been widely used to treat febrile diseases in the clinic for centuries. In recent years, a growing number of studies have found that SGD has a favorable anti-liver injury effect.

Purpose: In this study, we want to know the potential active components of SGD treatment in liver injury.

Study Design: A novel method combining computer simulation and in vivo experiment was established for the first time and used to investigate this problem.

Methods: A network pharmacology was used to explore the active components of SGD treatment in liver injury, and preliminarily verified the results of network pharmacology through molecular docking. To further understand the active compounds of SGD in the treatment of liver injury, we compared the prototypes and metabolites of SGD in healthy rats and rats with liver injury after oral administration. In addition, a UPLC-MS/MS method was developed and successfully applied to investigate the pharmacokinetics of 9 compounds of SGD in healthy and liver injury rats.

Results: It showed that SGD exerted protective effects against liver injury by the active components of liquiritin and albiflorin, etc. The values of the AUC, AUC, t, T were significantly different after oral administration of SGD in healthy and liver injury rats. This indicates that the pharmacokinetic study in the pathological state of liver injury can provide more valuable information for guiding clinical medication.

Conclusion: In this study, the integration of network pharmacology and experiments in vivo provides a novel strategy to explore active components of TCMs to treat diseases.