Abstract:
Background: Network pharmacology involves in mapping of poly-pharmacology networks onto
the human disease-gene network, thereby uncovering the therapeutic potential of numerous plant
extracts and herbal remedies. Atalantia ceylanica (AC), a plant belonging to the Rutacea family,
has demonstrated effectiveness in treating acute bronchitis within traditional medicine systems,
yet its mechanism of action remains unclear.
Objective: To identify pathways associated with bronchitis that are modulated by active
compounds present in the essential oil of AC leaves, using network pharmacology
Methods: Active components and action targets of AC were identified using the Swiss Target
Prediction and SEA search server databases. Targets associated with acute bronchitis were
obtained from the Gene card and DisGeNET databases. A protein-protein interaction (PPI)
network was constructed using the STRING database, with common targets were identified
through Venny 2.1. The network was visualized using Cytoscape. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto
Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG) pathway analyses were conducted using
bioinformatics data tools.
Results: The screening involved four bioactive compounds and 336 AC-related gene targets,
alongside 1557 acute bronchitis-related gene targets, yielding 79 common gene targets. The PPI
network compromised of 78 nodes and 430 edges. According to the results of GO analysis, the top
biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions enriched were responded to
molecules of bacterial origin, membrane raft, and non-membrane spanning protein tyrosine kinase
activity, respectively. KEGG pathway analysis identified 87 related significant pathways (false
detection rate = 0.019), indicating potential attenuation of inflammatory processes related to acute
bronchitis pathophysiology by AC essential oil, including neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction,
chemical carcinogenesis receptor activation, NF-kappa B signaling pathway, and arachidonic acid
metabolism.
Conclusion: This study highlights AC as a valuable therapeutic option in traditional medicine
system in Sri Lanka for the treatment of acute bronchitis, providing a foundation for its enhanced
clinical application.
