Abstract:Objective To study the potential targets of hypoglycemic effects of components in Guangdong Finger Citron (GFC) based on network pharmacology.Methods Genes associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hyperglycemia are screened using the TTD, DrugBank, OMIM, and DisGeNET databases. Active components of GFC are collected from literature, and potential targets are predicted using the Swiss database. Based on this, key proteins are then identified through the STRING database, and a "disease-active-component-target-pathway" network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.7.1. Functional annotation is further carried out by performing gene ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses through the DAVID 6.8 database. Finally, molecular docking of the active components of GFC with key targets was performed using AutoDock Vina.Results Through network pharmacology, a total of 551 relevant targets were identified by intersecting the GFC components with disease targets. A "component-target-disease" network is constructed, and the interactions between disease-related proteins are analyzed. The top 10 components and targets are ranked based on their Degree values. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis reveals three signaling pathways related to hypoglycemic effects. Two main GFC components associated with hypoglycemic effects are identified: byakangelicol and 6,6',7,7'-tetramethoxy-3,3'-biscoumarin. Three related targets (HSP90AA1, PIK3CA, and PIK3CD) and associated pathways (PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, insulin resistance, and HIF-1 signaling pathway) are also identified. Molecular docking of the obtained targets with pathways show that byakangelicol has binding energies of -32.6 and -34.7 kJ/mol with HSP90AA1 and PIK3CA, respectively, while 6',7,7'-tetramethoxy-3,3'-biscoumarin has binding energies of -35.1 and -37.6 kJ/mol with PIK3CD and PIK3CA, respectively.Conclusion It is speculated that byakangelicol and 6,6',7,7'-tetramethoxy-3,3'-biscoumarin are the main components of GFC for hypoglycemic effects. These components may act by targeting HSP90AA1, PIK3CA, PIK3CD, and other targets to regulate biological processes such as the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, insulin resistance, and HIF-1 signaling pathway.