ABSTRACT
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a rapidly emerging infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. Inflammatory factors may play essential roles in COVID-19 progression. Huashi Baidu Decoction (HSBD) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula that can expel cold, dispel dampness, and reduce inflammation. HSBD has been widely used for the treatment of COVID-19. However, the active ingredients and potential targets for HSBD to exert anti-inflammatory or anti-SARS-CoV-2 effects remain unclear. In this paper, the active ingredients with anti-inflammatory or anti-viral effects in HSBD and their potential targets were screened using the Discovery Studio 2020 software. By overlapping the targets of HSBD and COVID-19, 8 common targets (FYN, SFTPD, P53, RBP4, IL1RN, TTR, SRPK1, and AKT1) were identified. We determined 2 key targets (P53 and AKT1) by network pharmacology. The main active ingredients in HSBD were evaluated using the key targets as receptor proteins for molecular docking. The results suggested that the best active ingredients Kaempferol2 and Kaempferol3 have the potential as supplements for the treatment of COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the key to unlock treasures of Chinese civilization. TCM and its compound play a beneficial role in medical activities to cure diseases, especially in major public health events such as novel coronavirus epidemics across the globe. The chemical composition in Chinese medicine formula is complex and diverse, but their effective substances resemble "mystery boxes". Revealing their active ingredients and their mechanisms of action has become focal point and difficulty of research for herbalists. Although the existing research methods are numerous and constantly updated iteratively, there is remain a lack of prospective reviews. Hence, this paper provides a comprehensive account of existing new approaches and technologies based on previous studies with an in vitro to in vivo perspective. In addition, the bottlenecks of studies on Chinese medicine formula effective substances are also revealed. Especially, we look ahead to new perspectives, technologies and applications for its future development. This work reviews based on new perspectives to open horizons for the future research. Consequently, herbal compounding pharmaceutical substances study should carry on the essence of TCM while pursuing innovations in the field.
ABSTRACT
Since February 2020, a large number of patients infected with new coronavirus has been cured and discharged with the controlling of epidemic. Pulmonary fibrosis, which may be one of the sequela caused by COVID-19, not only brings dyspnea and deterioration of lung function, but also affects patients' life because of its high mortality and poor prognosis. Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor(VEGFR) and fibroblast growth factor receptor(FGFR) can inhibit the proliferation, activation and migration of fibroblasts by regulating the signal transduction pathway involved in the process of pulmonary fibrosis. Chinese herbal formulas pose a good therapeutic effect on pulmonary fibrosis. Present study explores the intervention effect on pulmonary fibrosis of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) by screening the potential inhibitors of VEGFR and FGFR. The docking models of VEGFR and FGFR were established to obtain the potential active ingredients which were filtered by the docking score. According to 2 prescriptions in the Protocol for the diagnosis and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019(7th edition)and 9 prescriptions in Traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions for treating blight, 959 and 1 047 potential ingredients were obtained as the inhibitors of VEGFR and FGFR respectively with the screening thres-hold set as eighty percent of the docking score of the initial ligands. The potential herbs were then filtered by the components with a hit rate higher than 30%, such as Scutellariae Radix, Adenophorae Radix, Pinelliae Rhizoma, Coicis Semen, etc. To discuss the rule of TCM in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis, the networks of TCM-channel tropism and TCM-efficacy of the potential herbs was constructed. The potential herbs for treating pulmonary fibrosis mostly belong to lung(degree=14) and spleen(degree value=8), and the efficacy is focused on reinforcing deficiency(degree=9). Qiyin Prescription and Buzhong Yiqi Decoction contain the largest number of the potential herbs. The main symptom of COVID-19 is damp-heat stagnating in the lung, which always causes impairment of body fluid and Qi. Clinical observation shows that patients in the recovery period are mostly at the status that the remaining virus toxicity is not exhausted while the vital Qi have not recovered. The results of this study are expected to provide references for clinical medication in preventing and treating pulmonary fibrosis caused by COVID-19.