Exploring the Antibacterial and Antioxidant Mechanisms of Schizonepeta tenuifolia Based on Network Pharmacology

The multi-target mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can be unraveled with the help of network pharmacology, a developing research paradigm. Using network pharmacology, this study methodically examined the action targets and related signaling pathways that underlie Schizonepeta tenuifolia's antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Initially, the TCMSP database was used to screen for Schizonepeta tenuifolia's active ingredients and their molecular targets, while the GeneCards database was used to collect targets relevant to antioxidants and antibacterials. The STRING database was used to build a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and Cytoscape 3.1.0 was used for topological analysis to identify core targets. The findings showed that Schizonepeta tenuifolia contains 11 active components and 75 overlapping targets, including 1,143 antibacterial and 4,932 antioxidant-related targets. The antibacterial and antioxidant properties of Schizonepeta tenuifolia are mainly mediated through the "Lipid and atherosclerosis" and IL-17 signaling pathways, according to Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. This study offers fresh perspectives on the evolution of "medicine-food homologous" plants and a theoretical framework for clarifying the molecular mechanisms of Schizonepeta tenuifolia.