Study on multi-target mechanism of Radix et Rhizoma Rhei (Dahuang) and Semen Persicae (Taoren) on adhesion intestinal obstruction based on network pharmacology

Objective: To explore the mechanism of action of Radix et Rhizoma Rhei (Dahuang)(RERR) and Semen Persicae (Taoren)(SP) on adhesive intestinal obstruction (AIO). Methods: The main targets of the active ingredients of RERR and SP were filtered based on the traditional Chinese medicine system pharmacology analysis platform. Cytoscape 3.2.1 was applied to build the ingredient-target network of RERR and SP for AIO. Results: Fifteen active components were predicted from the RERR and SP herb pair, such as aloe-emodin, catechin, rhein, gibberellin (GA) 119, GA120 and GA121. These components were applied to 59 targets mainly involved in many biological processes such as signal transduction, anti-apoptosis, and inflammatory response involved in activating the immune effect. Conclusion: This study proposes the system pharmacology method and identifies the potent combination therapeutic mechanism of RERR and SP for AIO. This strategy will provide a new insight to the study of herb combinations.