Characterization and Mechanism Prediction of Active Components in Fuganlin Oral Liquid for Respiratory Tract Infections Using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and Network Pharmacology.

Abstract

Fuganlin oral liquid (FOL) has been clinically employed for the treatment of pediatric qi deficiency colds, manifesting symptoms such as fever, cough, asthma, and sore throat. However, the chemical composition and bioactive components of FOL have not been clearly elucidated. In this study, a comprehensive qualitative analysis of FOL was conducted utilizing ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry in conjunction with network pharmacology. A total of 124 chemical components were tentatively characterized, comprising flavonoids, phenolic acids, saponins, coumarins, and others. Among these, 43 compounds were unequivocally identified by comparison with authentic reference standards. Furthermore, network pharmacology analysis revealed that the ingredients of FOL exhibited anti-inflammatory properties and demonstrated potential efficacy in relieving cough and asthma associated with respiratory tract infections. Collectively, this study provides the first comprehensive characterization of the chemical composition in FOL and explores the potential pharmacological mechanisms of its bioactive constituents, thereby providing scientific support for quality control standards and clinical applications.