Exploration of the mechanism of “Psoralea corylifolia Linn.-Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.” herb pair in the treatment of liver cancer based on network pharmacology

Liver cancer treatment remains challenging, and the anti-liver cancer mechanism of the “ Psoralea corylifolia Linn.- Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.” herb pair is unclear. This study aims to elucidate its synergistic mechanism based on network pharmacology. Network pharmacology was used to screen the active components and targets of the herb pair, construct protein–protein interaction (PPI) and “herbs-components-targets-disease" networks, perform Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses, and validate findings via molecular docking. A total of 221 overlapping core targets between the “ Psoralea corylifolia Linn.- Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.” herb pair and liver cancer were identified, among which TP53, AKT1, CYP1A1, UGT1A7, and UGT1A1 were the five key nodes crucial for the synergistic effects of the herb pair. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that “Chemical carcinogenesis - receptor activation” and “Lipid and atherosclerosis” are the core pathways through which this herb pair exerts its effects. Molecular docking confirmed stable binding between core components like kaempferol and key targets such as CYP1A1, supporting the potential for this herb pair to intervene in liver cancer progression via multiple targets and pathways. This study systematically elucidates how the “ Psoralea corylifolia Linn.- Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.” herb pair exerts anti-liver cancer effects through a multi-target and multi-pathway network, establishing a molecular mechanism framework for the synergistic intervention of liver cancer using traditional Chinese medicine herb pairs.