Investigating the Mechanism of Swertia davidii Franch. in Treating Acute Liver Injury by Integrating Network Pharmacology

To examine the blood components of Swertia davidii Franch. (SDF) and its effects on acute liver injury (ALI) in mice, ultra-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry technology was used to analyze the blood of rats after oral SDF extract administration. Potential targets of blood components for improving ALI were screened using Pharmmapper Server, Swiss Target Prediction, and Genecards databases. The STRING 12.0 database and Cytoscape 3.7.2 software assisted in constructing and analyzing the protein-protein interaction network, while the Metascape database facilitated Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Cytoscape 3.7.2 was used to construct and analyze networks to identify key targets of SDF blood components in improving ALI. The molecular docking of blood components with core targets was carried out using Schrödinger Maestro 11.1 software. Based on KEGG pathway analysis results, PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathways were selected for experimental verification. Eight blood components, including loganin, gentiopicroside, and oleanolic acid, were detected in serum samples of rats after oral administration. These blood components may influence CDK2, EGFR, and MAPK1, altering PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathways to aid liver injury recovery in mice. SDF showed superior liver protection, likely by activating these pathways. This study provides references for the development of hepatoprotective products and clinical applications of SDF.