Abstract:
This study aimed to explore the active components of
Aquilaria sinensis tea and their therapeutic mechanism in diabetes treatment. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS)was used to analyze the active components. The Swiss Target Prediction database was employed to identify targets corresponding to these components, while diabetes-related targets were collected from the GeneCards and OMIM databases. Potential therapeutic targets were screened using Venny analysis to intersect the component and disease targets. Cytoscape 3.7.1 software was used to construct a component-target-disease network, and the STRING database was applied to build a protein-protein interaction(PPI)network. The DAVID database was utilized for Gene Ontology(GO)functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis of the potential targets. Molecular docking validation of core targets was performed using the RCSB PDB database and AutoDockTools 1.5.6 software. GC-MS analysis identified 23 active components, including phytol, friedelin, and β-amyrin. Database searches yielded 372 active component targets and 3,168 diabetes-related targets, from which 183 potential targets for
A. sinensis tea in diabetes treatment were screened. These potential targets were mainly enriched in the following functions and pathways: biological processes such as insulin impairment signaling, insulin-like growth factor receptor signaling, and positive regulation of the ERK1 and ERK2 cascades; cellular components including the plasma membrane, receptor complexes, and cell membrane; and molecular functions such as transmembrane receptor protein tyrosine kinase activity, collagen receptor activity, and platelet-derived growth factor alpha receptor activity. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that the potential targets were primarily involved in pathways related to cancer, insulin resistance, and endocrine resistance. Molecular docking results indicated stable binding between the core components and key target proteins. In conclusion, the active components of
A. sinensis tea exert anti-diabetic effects through a multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway approach. It is hypothesized that active components such as α-tocopherol, β-amyrin, and phytol may modulate key target proteins including AKT1, IL-1β, and SRC, thereby regulating pathways related to cancer, insulin resistance, and endocrine resistance to achieve therapeutic effects against diabetes. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the development of natural medicines for diabetes treatment.