Virtual screening of the active compounds and potential targets of Elephantopus tomentosus L. for the treatment of liver cancer based on a network pharmacology approach

Liver cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death.As the clinical treatment for this disease is not satisfactory,it is urgent to discover new medications to treat liver cancer.Elephantopus tomentosus L.is a traditional whole grass herb,which contains sesquiterpene lactones,triterpenoids,aldehyde caffeic with good anti-tumor effect.In this study,molecular docking and network analysis were carried out to identify the active compounds,and predict the potential targets of E.tomentosus for the treatment of liver cancer.These attempts may provide insights for finding novel lead compounds for the treatment of liver cancer.