Network pharmacology, molecular docking and experimental validation to elucidate the anti-ulcerative colitis mechanism of <i>Rosa roxburghii</i> Tratt. leaves

<i>Rosa roxburghii</i> Tratt. leaves possess therapeutic potential for ulcerative colitis (UC) as a natural medicinal resource. However, the active constituents and mechanisms of <i>R. roxburghii</i> leaves against UC remain unelucidated. This study, therefore, systematically investigated their active components and therapeutic mechanisms. A total of 45 chemical constituents were characterised in <i>R. roxburghii</i> leaves by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS, with network pharmacology further predicting the active compounds and their potential mechanisms. Molecular docking demonstrated that the active components derived from <i>R. roxburghii</i> leaves exhibited remarkable binding potential towards IL-6 and NFKB1. Finally, the <i>in vivo</i> results revealed that <i>R. roxburghii</i> leaves could alleviate the colon injury of UC mice and reduce inflammatory levels.