Lycopene exerts a treatment effect on bovine mastitis induced by Escherichia coli infection via the MAPK pathway using network pharmacology, a mice model and molecular docking

Escherichia coli, an opportunistic pathogen, induces acute bovine mastitis, leading to severe milk yield reduction, dairy product discard, and substantial economic losses. This not only jeopardizes cow health and farm profitability but also raises food safety concerns, highlighting the need for effective treatments. Lycopene (LYC), a natural carotenoid with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, has shown potential in mitigating inflammatory diseases. This study investigated the therapeutic mechanism of LYC against E. coli-induced bovine mastitis using network pharmacology, molecular docking, and a mice model. Potential targets of LYC were screened from TargetNet, GeneCards, CTD and SwissTargetPrediction, while mastitis and E. coli infections-related genes were obtained from GeneCards and CTD, respectively. PPI networks were constructed via STRING and Cytoscape, and core targets were analyzed using GO and KEGG in Metascape database. Molecular docking was performed to validate binding affinities between LYC and key targets. An E. coli-induced mastitis mice model was established to evaluate LYC's efficacy, with inflammatory markers and MAPK pathway proteins assessed via ELISA and Western blot. Network pharmacology identified 165 overlapping targets among LYC, mastitis and E. coli infections. KEGG analysis highlighted the MAPK pathway as a critical signalling axis, with 15 core regulators. Molecular docking confirmed strong binding of LYC to these core regulators. In vivo experiments demonstrated that LYC significantly reduced mammary tissue damage, decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines, and suppressed MAPK pathway in E. coli-infected mice. Therefore, LYC alleviates E. coli infection-induced bovine mastitis by modulating the MAPK pathway, offering a promising natural alternative for mastitis treatment.