The antitumor effect of Scutellaria barbataD. Don (skullcap) aqueous extract and its mechanism of action in lung adenocarcinoma

We aimed to explore the inhibitory effects of Scutellaria barbata D. Don (skullcap) aqueous extract (SBE) on the growth and migration of lung cancer cells and analyze underlying mechanism via bioinformatics analysis. SBE effectively inhibited the proliferation and migration of lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells assessed by experimental study. Wogonin is one of the active ingredients of SBE, and its target, CDK1, was selected by network pharmacology. CDK1 expression was greater in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tissues than in normal tissues according to GEPIA2 and UALCAN and related to the progression and prognosis of LUAD. CDK1 expression was downregulated after SBE treatment in A549 cells. SBE inhibited the proliferation and migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells by regulating the expression of CDK1 and related genes involved in cell cycle regulation, progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation and the p53 signaling pathway. CDK1 might be an effective target of SBE and a potential prognostic biomarker in LUAD.