Exploring the mechanism of Poria cocos in treating allergic rhinitis based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

Poria cocos (PC) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine that plays an important role in the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR); however, its specific mechanism of action has rarely been reported. This study was based on network pharmacology and molecular docking to explore the molecular mechanisms of PC in the treatment of AR. TCMSP, GeneCards, DrugBank, TTD, and OMIM databases were used to screen potential targets of Poria cocos for AR treatment. The STRING platform and Cytoscape 3.7.0 software (Cytoscape Consortium, San Diego) were used to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and screen core targets. Gene ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were conducted on potential target genes. Finally, molecular docking was conducted between the key active components and the core targets to validate their relevance. Fifteen active components of PC were identified and 94 common targets related to both PC and AR were screened. The top ten hub genes identified were TNF, IL1B, AKT1, prostaglandin G/H synthase 2 (PTGS2), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), MMP9, PPARG, BCL2, NR3C1, and PTGS1. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses indicated that these core targets were involved in various biological processes, including the regulation of inflammatory responses, responses to exogenous stimuli, and modulation of defense responses. These targets influence AR through pathways such as the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Molecular docking results indicated that pachymic acid-PTGS2, polyporenic acid C-EGFR, and PTGS2 exhibited strong binding activity, while pachymic acid, polyporenic acid C-TNF and cerevisterol-AKT1 demonstrated good binding activity. Our study found that the key active components of PC for treating AR are pachymic acid, polyporenic acid C, and cerevisterol. PTGS2, EGFR, TNF, and AKT1 are the key targets, while the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway are the key pathways. These results indicate that PC may intervene in the intrinsic molecular mechanism of AR through multiple targets and pathways. Although further experimental verification is required, our study provides a theoretical basis for the clinical application of PC in AR treatment and subsequent related research.