Systems pharmacology approach to investigate the molecular mechanisms of herb Rhodiola rosea L. radix

AbstractRhodiola rosea L. radix (RRL) is one of the most popular medical herb which has been widely used for the treatment of different diseases effectively, including cardiovascular diseases and nerve system diseases. However, due to the multiple compounds in RRL, the underlying molecular mechanisms of RRL are remained unclear. To decipher the action mechanisms of RRL from a systematic perspective, a systems pharmacology approach integrated absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) system, drug targeting, and network analysis was introduced. First, by the ADME screening system and the target fishing process, 56 potential active compounds and 62 targets were obtained, respectively. In addition, compound-target network demonstrated that most compounds interacted with multiple targets, indicating that RRL may enhance its therapeutic effects probably through hitting on multiple targets in a holistic level. Moreover, target-pathway network and gene ontology analysis showed that multiple targe...