Exploring Potential Mechanisms of Insect-Derived Drugs in Treating Atrial Fibrillation Based on Data Mining, Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Techniques

This study uses data mining, network pharmacology, and molecular docking to explore the potential mechanisms of insect-derived traditional Chinese medicines against atrial fibrillation (AF). We systematically screened 11 insect-derived medicines from multiple databases and identified 49 active compounds targeting 1038 unique genes. Cross-analysis with 645 known AF-related targets revealed 61 common targets. Key pathways involved include arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy and atherosclerosis. Molecular docking confirmed strong binding between core compounds (e.g., ergotamine) and targets (e.g., CACNA1C). Our findings suggest that these drugs exert anti-AF effects through multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway mechanisms, providing novel insights into their potential clinical applications.