Investigating the mechanism of <i>Macleaya cordata</i> (Willd.) R. Br. Root against melanoma based on network pharmacology and experimental verification

This study focused on the mechanism of action of Macleaya cordata (Willd.) R. Br. root (MCR) against melanoma. 28 chemical components were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. Network pharmacology was used to predict 147 potential intersection targets of MCR and melanoma, and these intersection targets were used to construct a PPI network. Enrichment analysis predicted that MCR exerted its anti-melanoma effect through cancer signalling pathways, AKT-PI3K signalling pathways, etc. Molecular docking verified that the active components of MCR had a strong binding to the core proteins. MCR had the effect of inhibiting cell proliferation and promoting cell apoptosis in B16 cells. It further decreased the protein expressions of Bcl-2, p-AKT, and p-PI3K, and increased the protein expression of Bax. To sum up, these results indicate that MCR may be a potential drug for anti-melanoma therapy.