Mechanisms of Coptidis Rhizoma-Cimicifugae Rhizoma Herbal Pair in Periodontitis: A Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Study

School of Medicine Wuhan University of Science and Technology Wuhan, Hubei, China

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Abstract

Objective: To clarify the potential mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of the Coptidis Rhizoma–Cimicifugae Rhizoma herbal pair in periodontitis through an integrated analysis strategy. Methods: Targets were collected from TCMSP, SymMap, GeneCards, and OMIM. Common targets were identified and analyzed by PPI network, enrichment analysis, and molecular docking.Results: Eighty shared targets were identified. Core targets included AKT1, CCL2, IL6, TNF, BCL2, and PPARG, mainly involved in inflammation and hypoxia-related processes. Key signaling pathways identified in this study mainly involved inflammatory and immune regulatory processes, particularly those related to NF-κB, PI3K-Akt, and IL-17 signaling. In addition, molecular docking analysis indicated that major active constituents exhibited stable interactions with selected core targets.Conclusion: This study investigated the potential mechanisms of Coptidis Rhizoma-Cimicifugae Rhizoma herbal pair in periodontitis by integrating network pharmacology and molecular docking. The findings provide a theoretical basis for its clinical application and future studies.