Abstract: In the present study, network pharmacological methods were used to analyze the potential mechanism of Magnolia Officinalis Cortex-Armeniacae Semen Amarum combination in the treatment of asthma. We searched the chemical constituents and related information of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Magnolia Officinalis Cortex-Armeniacae Semen Amarum combination using the BATMAN-TCM database, disease-related information using the PALM-IST database, and construct target protein interaction network based on the String database. Cytoscape v3.5.1 software was used for the visual analysis of drugtarget interaction. The DAVID database and ClueGO + CluePedia plug-in for Cytoscape v3.5.1 were used for GO biofunctional enrichment analysis and KEGG signal pathway enrichment analysis of the key drug targets. In the present study, 51 compounds and 435 targets of Magnolia Officinalis Cortex-Armeniacae Semen Amarum combination were found. There were 415 targets related to asthma.Further, 14 key targets  for drug treatment of the disease were obtained, such as tumor necrosis factor, catalase, interleukin-13, and β2-adrenergic receptor. GO gene analysis mainly involves biological processes such as stress response regulation, innate immune response regulation, defense response, acute inflammatory response, response to stimulus, blood coagulation and hemostasis regulation, self-internal stability, and reactive oxygen species metabolic process. KEGG analysis was primarily involved in NF-κB, IL-17, FcεRI, Toll receptor, FoxO, and other signaling pathways. In conclusion, we observed that the Magnolia Officinalis Cortex-Armeniacae Semen Amarum combination can play potential therapeutic roles in chronic airway inflammation, remodeling, and hyperresponsiveness in asthma via multiple targets, approaches, and pathways.

Key words: network pharmacology, Magnolia Officinalis Cortex-Armeniacae Semen Amarum combination, treatment, asthma, mechanismu