Network pharmacology-based analysis of Cornus officinalis for anti-osteoporosis property and experimental validation of its active component beta-sitosterol

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Introduction Cornus officinalis is a commonly used herbal for osteoporosis. We aimed to explore the potential mechanism of Cornus officinalis in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis using network pharmacology. Materials and Methods The active ingredients and targets of Cornus officinalis were screened from the TCMSP database and Uniprot database, and the predictive targets of postmenopausal osteoporosis were screened through the GeneCards database. The intersected targets of Cornus officinalis and disease were then obtained. Cytoscape 3.7.2 software was used to construct a traditional Chinese medicine-component-disease-target regulatory network. The DAVID database was used to analyze the GO enrichment and KEGG pathway annotation. The effect and mechanism of potential active ingredients of Cornus officinalis on postmenopausal osteoporosis were verified by cell experiments in vitro. Results 12 active ingredients of Cornus officinalis and 30 effective targets in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis were screened out. Among them, PTGS2、PTGS1 and ADRB2 might play a crucial role. Experiments have shown that beta-sitosterol increases the expression levels of OPN and RUNX2 in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. PTGS2 and TNF-α are two of the thirty potential target genes, and beta-sitosterol can decrease the expression of PTGS2 and TNF-α. Additionally, beta-sitosterol can increase the activity of ALP and mineralization in BMSCs. Conclusion The mechanism by which Cornus officinalis treats postmenopausal osteoporosis may involve active ingredients like beta-sitosterol acting on PTGS2 and TNF-α. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for further research into the complex anti-osteoporosis mechanisms of Cornus officinalis .