Qili Qiangxin (QLQX) capsule as a multi-functional traditional Chinese medicine in treating chronic heart failure (CHF): A review of ingredients, molecular, cellular, and pharmacological mechanisms

Fig. 1. The herbs included in Qili Qiangxin (QLQX) capsule and the Chinese patent medicine. The QLQX prescription consists of eleven herbs: two monarch drug (JUN)- the Astragali Radix (Huang-Qi) and Aconitum carmichaelii Debx. (Zhi-Fu-Zi), three ministerial drug (CHEN)- Panax ginseng C. A. Mey. (Ren-Shen), Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. (Dan-Shen), and Lepidium apetalum Willd (Ting-Li-Zi), five adjuvant drug (ZUO)- Alisma orientalis (Sam.) Juzep. (Ze-Xie), Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce (Yu-Zhu), Carthamus tinctorius L. (Hong-Hua), Periploca sepium Bge. (Xiang-Jia-Pi), and Citrus reticulata Blanco (Chen-Pi), one envoy drug (SHI)- Cinnamomum cassia Presl (Gui-Zhi). QLQX is orally administered as capsules. The picture of this patent medicine has been permitted to be presented in the manuscript by YILING PHARMACEUTICAL, INC.

Fig. 2. The therapeutic roles by which Qili Qiangxin (QLQX) capsule protect against heart failure.

Fig. 3. The compound-target (C–T) networks and enrichment analysis results. (A) The (C–T) networks for targets from literatures. The network contained 284 nodes (112 compounds and 172 targets) and 859 edges. (B) Top 10 key active compounds and hub targets from literatures. (C) Top 10 key active compounds highly exposed in plasma and hub targets from literatures. (D) The (C–T) networks for therapeutic targets from PHARMACODIA. The network contained 403 nodes (131 compounds and 272 targets) and 1289 edges. (E) Top 10 key active compounds and hub therapeutic targets from PHARMACODIA. (F) Top 10 key active compounds highly exposed in plasma and hub therapeutic targets from PHARMACODIA. If a compound targets on a protein, there is a link between them. The round orange and square blue nodes represent the compound and target, respectively. Node size is proportional to its degree. The degree of a node is the number of its neighbors. C-T network, Compound–target network.

Fig. 4. The enrichment analysis results for targets from literatures. (A) Significantly enriched KEGG pathways. (B) Significantly enriched GO biological processes (BP). The smaller the p value, the darker the color of the node and font.