Study on the Anti-Periodontitis Mechanism of Eucommia ulmoides Based on Network Pharmacology

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammation of periodontal support tissue caused by local factors. Eucommia ulmoides, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, has a significant therapeutic effect on periodontitis, but its mechanism of action is still unclear. In this study network pharmacology method was used to deeply elucidate the pharmacological substance basis and mechanism of Eucommia ulmoides in treating periodontitis. The protein interaction network (PPI) was constructed using the STRING database. The GO and KEGG signal pathway enrichment analyses of the intersected targets were performed using the DAVID database to predict the mechanism of action. The results indicate that Eucommia ulmoides exerted its therapeutic effect on periodontitis through a synergistic mechanism of multiple components, targets, and pathways. The top 8 therapeutic targets were identified, including EGFR, HIF1A, MMP9, ESR1, JUN, PPARG, AKT1, and SRC. Prolactin and HIF-1 signaling pathway may be the key mechanism of Eucommia ulmoides in treating periodontitis.