Prediction Targets of a Novel Sesquiterpene Lactone From Eupatorium lindleyanum DC. Against Viral Pneumonia Using Computational Pharmacology

Abstract

Objective: This study employed computational pharmacology to explore the possible therapeutic targets and molecular mechanisms of F1012-2, a novel sesquiterpene lactone from Eupatorium lindleyanum DC. (EL), against viral pneumonia. Methods: With network pharmacology, we first looked into various databases for genes and proteins related to viral pneumonia, as well as the potential targets of F1012-2. By overlapping these 2 groups of genes, we acquired the candidate targets of F1012-2 against viral pneumonia. Afterward, enrichment analysis was performed to elucidate the interactive targets in the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) database. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed through the STRING database, and the results were imported into Cytoscape software to search for the key genes by Network Analyzer. Finally, molecular docking analysis was used to further validate the candidate targets of F1012-2 against viral pneumonia. Results: A total of 110 target genes were found for the 3 compounds within F1012-2 (Eupalinolide G, [EG] Eupalinolide I, [EI] and Eupalinolide J [EJ]), while 4322 potential therapeutic targets were uncovered related to viral pneumonia, and the intersection of the 2 groups generated 78 target genes. Among the candidate genes, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), interleukin-1beta (IL1B), tyrosine-protein kinase SRC, Caspase-3 (CASP3), and transcription factor and oncoprotein JUN have the highest degree, betweenness, and closeness, which could fit into binding with EG, EI, and EJ. The enrichment analysis indicated that the major pathways involved were sphingolipid, neurotrophin, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and Toll-like receptor signaling pathways. Conclusion: These findings showed that by the combination of network pharmacology and molecular docking, we could speculate on the possible mechanism of F1012-2's effect on viral pneumonia, with EGFR, IL1B, SRC, and CASP3 as the promising targets.