Potential mechanism of ginseng against frailty on network pharmacology and Bioinformatics analyses

Ginseng is valuable for frailty while the mechanism of ginseng against frailty is seldom explored. This study aimed to explore the potential mechanism of ginseng against frailty on multiple evidence. The TCMSP database was utilized to identify the active compounds in ginseng and predict their associated targets. The resulting data were uploaded to the Uniprot database for standardized annotation. Relevant targets related to frailty were extracted from the GeneCards, and DiGSeE, and common targets linking ginseng and frailty were identified. The protein interaction network was constructed using the STRING database. GO function and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were conducted using the DAVID database. Interactional network diagrams were created and analyzed using Cytoscape software. 10 main qualified active ingredients, 438 ginseng-related targeted, 292 frailty-related targeted genes, and 16 shared genes for both ginseng and frailty were identified. Two proteins (HSP90AA1, and AKT1), and three pathways (chemical carcinogenesis - receptor activation, prostate cancer, and pathways in cancer) may be the major factors for frailty, and EGFR may play a critical role for ginseng against frailly. This study demonstrates that the active ingredients of ginseng exert anti-frailty effects through multiple targets and signaling pathways while these findings provide valuable insights into ginseng against frailly in future research.