Network pharmacology-based prediction of the active ingredients and potential targets of Mahuang Fuzi Xixin decoction for application to allergic rhinitis

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Certain herbal formulae from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are effective for treating and preventing diseases in clinical practice. Mahuang fuzi Xixin Decoction (MFXD) is a TCM that is used to treat allergic rhinitis (AR); however, the active ingredients and potential targets of its action against AR remain unclear. Therefore, further investigation is required. Methods: A network pharmacology approach comprising drug-likeness evaluation, oral bioavailability prediction, multiple drug target prediction, and network analysis has been used in this study. Results: The comprehensive systematic approach was successfully to indentify 41 bioactive ingredients in MFXD, while 37 potential targets hit by these ingredients related to AR. Moreover, wherein four predicted ingredients possess anti-inflammatory effects were found by this technique. Conclusions: Our works successfully predict the active ingredients and potential targets of MFXD for application to allergic rhinitis and helps to illustrate mechanism of action on a systematic level. This study not only provides new insights into the chemical basis and pharmacology of MFXD but also demonstrates a feasible method for discovering potential drugs from herbal medicine. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.