title: Network pharmacological identification of active compounds and potential actions of Erxian decoction in alleviating menopause-related symptoms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Erxian decoction (EXD) is used to treat menopause-related symptoms in Chinese medicine. This study aims to identify the bioactive compounds and potential actions of EXD by network pharmacological analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two databases, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database and TCM Database@Taiwan, were used to retrieve literature of phytochemicals of EXD. STITCH 4.0 and the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database were used to search for compound-protein and compound-gene interactions, respectively. DAVID Bioinformatics Resources 6.7 and Cytoscape 3.01 with Jepetto plugin software were used to perform a network pharmacological analysis of EXD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 721 compounds were identified in EXD, of which 155 exhibited 2,656 compound-protein interactions with 1,963 associated proteins determined by STITCH4.0 database, and of which 210 had 14,893 compound-gene interactions with 8,536 associated genes determined by Comparative Toxicogenomics Database. Sixty three compounds of EXD followed the Lipinski's Rule with OB ≥30% and DL index ≥0.18, of which 20 related to 34 significant pathway- or 12 gene- associated with menopause.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Twenty compounds were identified by network pharmacology as potential effective ingredients of EXD for relieving menopause with acceptable oral bioavailability and druggability.
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Shiwei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Tzi-Bun
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Lixing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Jenny Ka Wing
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Kalin Yanbo
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Zhang-Jin
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Stephen Cho Wing
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Sze