Abstract: The potential active components of Wulingsan were obtained using the TCMSP database, and the potential targets were predicated using PharmMapper servers. The compoundtarget and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed to perform enrichment analyses of gene ontology (GO) and biological pathway based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Results show that a compound-target network comprising 50 major active components and 459 targets was obtained; the key targets included CSDE1, PRPS1, HSD17B4, CLPP, ACBD7, and AZGP1. A PPI network responsible for constructing Wulingsan targets consisted of 155 nodes and 527 interactions; key targets included CSDE1, CITED2, RANBP2, HSD17B4, TAF13, and SOD2. The items associated with the GO enrichment analysis pathway primarily involved cytosol, protein, and small molecules as well as cells’ reaction to organic substances and chemical stimulations, nitrogen metabolism, organic matter metabolism, and ion binding and transport activity. A KEGG metabolic pathway enrichment analysis included proteoglycans in cancer as well as bladder cancer, prostate cancer, endocrine resistance, fluid shear stress, and atherosclerosis. Results initially verified molecular mechanism for the pharmacological action of the main active components of Wulingsan, thereby providing evidence for further elucidation of its molecular mechanism, predicting its potential targets (such as PRPS1 and HSD17B4), and delivering a new method for studies on Wulingsan development and application.

Key words: Wulingsan, network pharmacology, proteinprotein interaction (PPI), gene ontology (GO), kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG)