Revealing the core active pharmaceutical ingredients and targets of Jie-gu capsules for fracture treatment through network pharmacology and mendelian randomization

Jie-gu capsules are widely used for the treatment of fractures in China. However, the core active pharmaceutical ingredients of Jie-gu capsules and the potential mechanisms for treating fractures remain unclear. This study aims to preliminarily elucidate the potential mechanisms of Jie-gu capsules in the treatment of fractures through network pharmacology and mendelian randomization methods. Data of fracture patients were obtained from the GEO database (GSE93215), and the active pharmaceutical ingredients and therapeutic targets of Jie-gu capsules were retrieved from the TCMSP and TCMID databases to identify the intersection genes. Subsequently, a protein-protein interaction network of the intersection genes was constructed using the STRING database. Then, GO and KEGG analyses were conducted on the intersection genes. In addition, mendelian randomization was employed to identify core targets. Finally, molecular docking techniques were used to perform molecular docking of the core active pharmaceutical ingredients and core targets for Jie-gu capsules in the treatment of fractures. In this study, a total of 65 intersection genes involved in Jie-gu capsule treatment of fractures were identified. GO and KEGG results indicated that these 65 intersection genes were primarily associated with biological processes such as response to tumor necrosis factor and are involved in signaling pathways, especially the regulation of the MAPK signaling pathway. We identified 5 core active ingredients of Jie-gu capsules (quercetin, baicalein, kaempferol, luteolin, and succinic acid). Mendelian randomization confirmed 2 core targets (ALOX12 and EGF). Molecular docking results demonstrated that the core active pharmaceutical ingredients (quercetin, baicalein, kaempferol, luteolin, and succinic acid) exhibit high affinities with the core targets (ALOX12 and EGF). This study has unveiled the core active pharmaceutical ingredients and potential action targets of the Jie-gu capsules in treating fractures, offering valuable insights for subsequent foundational research and the development of new medications.