Potential mechanism of action of Jing Fang Bai Du San in the treatment of COVID-19 using docking and network pharmacology

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), severely infects people and has rapidly spread worldwide. JingFangBaiDu San (JFBDS) has been used to treat prevalent epidemic pathogens, common cold, headache, cough due to lung-cold, and other symptoms; however, its treatment for COVID-19 is unknown. Molecular docking and network pharmacology were applied to obtain ingredient-protein structures and the herb-ingredient-disease target network model, respectively, to explore the potential mechanism of JFBDS in COVID-19 treatment. Network pharmacology analysis showed that acacetin, wogonin, and isorhamnetin were the main active ingredients of JFBDS, and EGFR, PIK3CA, LCK, MAPK1, MAPK3, MAPK8, STAT3, TNF, IL2, and RELA were speculated to be crucial therapeutic targets. Moreover, the Toll-like receptors, HIF-1, PIK3K/AKT, MAPK, NF-κB and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways were important for JFBDS in COVID-19 treatment. Molecular docking analysis indicated that ingredients of JFBDS could bind to angiotensin converting enzyme II, spike protein, and chymotrypsin like protease (3CLpro), which inhibits virus entry and replication in host cells. This study provides a new perspective for understanding potential therapeutic effects and mechanisms of JFBDS in COVID-19 and may facilitate its clinical application.