Investigating the mechanisms of capsicum in age‐related hearing loss: Based on network pharmacology

Abstract Background To explore the material basis and action mechanism of the chemical component gene of pepper on presbycusis, and to provide a reference for the traditional Chinese medicine treatment of age‐related hearing loss (ARHL). Methods The chemical composition and action targets of traditional Chinese medicine flavor of pepper were searched using the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacological database. Disease targets for ARHL were identified through the GeneCards database. The interaction relationship of the “drug‐component‐target‐pathway” network and potential targets were constructed using Cytoscape software, and the mechanism of action was predicted by enrichment analysis. Results As a result, 6 active components, 36 drug targets and 1100 disease targets of presbycusis were excavated, and 26 drug‐disease common targets were obtained, with the key targets including CTNNB1, GSK‐3β, GJA1, AKT1, MYC, BCL2. A total of 254 entries were obtained by GO enrichment analysis, which mainly involved neuronal apoptotic process, apoptotic process, and extracellular signalling process. KEGG pathways were enriched to select 72 signal pathways, including P53 signaling pathway, comprehensive cancer pathway, TNF‐α signaling pathway, neurodegenerative disease regulatory pathway, cell apoptosis pathway, etc. The molecular docking results showed that the folic acid (FA) family has a good binding ability with GSK‐3β. Conclusions In conclusion, capsicum may exert a suppressive effect on the occurrence and progression of ARHL through multiple pathways. Its main component, FA, demonstrates a strong binding affinity with GSK‐3β, suggesting that it could serve as a potential therapeutic target for presbycusis.