A Systems-Pharmacology Analysis of Herbal Medicines Used in Health Improvement Treatment: Predicting Potential New Drugs and Targets
نویسندگان
چکیده
For thousands of years, tonic herbs have been successfully used all around the world to improve health, energy, and vitality. However, their underlying mechanisms of action in molecular/systems levels are still a mystery. In this work, two sets of tonic herbs, so called Qi-enriching herbs (QEH) and Blood-tonifying herbs (BTH) in TCM, were selected to elucidate why they can restore proper balance and harmony inside body, organ and energy system. Firstly, a pattern recognition model based on artificial neural network and discriminant analysis for assessing the molecular difference between QEH and BTH was developed. It is indicated that QEH compounds have high lipophilicity while BTH compounds possess high chemical reactivity. Secondly, a systematic investigation integrating ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) prediction, target fishing and network analysis was performed and validated on these herbs to obtain the compound-target associations for reconstructing the biologically-meaningful networks. The results suggest QEH enhance physical strength, immune system and normal well-being, acting as adjuvant therapy for chronic disorders while BTH stimulate hematopoiesis function in body. As an emerging approach, the systems pharmacology model might facilitate to understand the mechanisms of action of the tonic herbs, which brings about new development for complementary and alternative medicine.
منابع مشابه
Systems pharmacology in drug discovery and therapeutic insight for herbal medicines
Systems pharmacology is an emerging field that integrates systems biology and pharmacology to advance the process of drug discovery, development and the understanding of therapeutic mechanisms. The aim of the present work is to highlight the role that the systems pharmacology plays across the traditional herbal medicines discipline, which is exemplified by a case study of botanical drugs applie...
متن کاملDiabetes VS Herbal Medicines
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder in the endocrine system. This dreadful disease is found in all parts of the world and is becoming a serious threat to mankind health. There are lots of chemical agents available to control and to treat diabetic patients, but total recovery from diabetes has not been reported up to this date. Alternative to these synthetic agents, plants provide a pote...
متن کاملHerbal Medicines in Diabetes
The use of herbal medicines in diabetes is promising but still far from proven. The purpose of this article is to examine the effect of herbal medicines in the treatment of diabetes, focusing on potential benefits and risks. Medline, expert interviews, books, articles and internet searches were used to identify herbal medicines with anti-diabetic properties and their diabetes-related health ef...
متن کاملPersian Herbal Medicines with Anxiolytic Properties
Anxiety disorders are amongst the most popular diseases which interfere with normal life. Benzodiazepines are used as a first line of treatment, but difficulties with pharmacotherapy of anxiety disorders such as dependence and low response rate, encourage researchers to find new approaches. From the past, the role of medicinal plants have been a subject of intense interest. In this respect, Ci...
متن کاملReview on some Lamiaceae plants of Iranian traditional and folk medicines with anti-inflammatory activity
It is estimated that 80% of people in developing countries are completely dependent on traditional and folk medicines for their health care. The contribution of medicinal plants and natural products as drugs or as sources of useful drugs in medicine is unquestionable. There are many reports of medicinal plants capable of interfering with the pathophysiological processes in inflammation. Plant e...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید
ثبت ناماگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید
ورودعنوان ژورنال:
دوره 2013 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2013