Network pharmacology-based elucidation of the multi-target anticancer effects of berberine in colon cancer

Background: Colon cancer is a common malignant tumor of the digestive tract that threatens human health and quality of life. Berberine, a natural compound from medicinal herbs, has shown strong anticancer effects. This study aims to investigate the molecular network mechanisms of berberine in treating colon cancer. Methods: Keywords “colon,” “colon cancer”, and “berberine” were entered into the GeneCards database. To comprehensively collect drug data, berberine was further input into the HERB, the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ETCM), and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) databases. Subsequently, a Venn analysis was performed to identify the intersection genes, which were then used for Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Finally, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis was used to build a drug-disease network and identify 10 core genes. Result: A total of 261 intersection proteins from colon, colon cancer, and berberine were identified, which were subsequently used for GO and KEGG analysis. The GO and KEGG analyses revealed that berberine’s treatment in colon cancer involves response to hormone, cellular response to nitrogen compound, nBAF complex, transcription coregulator binding, Pathways in cancer, Lipid and atherosclerosis, etc. PPI analysis constructed a core gene-KEGG pathways regulatory network and identified ten hub genes, including SWI/SNF-related matrix-associated actin-dependent regulator of chromatin subfamily E member 1 (SMARCE1), AT-rich interaction domain 1B (ARID1B), Actin-like 6A (ACTL6A), etc., which were primarily involved in chromatin remodeling and transcriptional regulation. Conclusion: This study revealed the mechanism of multi-target and multi-pathway of berberine in colon cancer, which provides a theoretical foundation for future cancer treatment and drug development.