Investigating the mechanism of Banxia Xiexin Decoction in treating Helicobacter pylori-associated chronic atrophic gastritis through network pharmacology and molecular docking

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of Banxia Xiexin Decoction in treating Helicobacter pylori (HP)-associated chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) using network pharmacology methods. Methods: Differential genes between HP-associated CAG and healthy individuals were screened from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database using high-throughput gene expression data. The compounds and targets of Banxia Xiexin Decoction were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database. Results: Through screening, 217 differentially expressed genes were obtained. Banxia Xiexin Decoction contained a total of 211 active components corresponding to 258 target genes. Nine key targets, including DPP4, SLC6A4, CYP3A4, HMOX1, MGAM, MTTP, APOB, UGT1A1, and CASP1, were identified. The enrichment analysis showed that Banxia Xiexin Decoction exerted its therapeutic effects on HP-associated CAG by participating in biological processes such as energy metabolism, oxidative reactions, cell apoptosis, anti-inflammatory response, and immune response, as well as regulating drug metabolism processes, heme and chlorophyll metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis, and retinol metabolism pathways. Conclusion: The main active components of Banxia Xiexin Decoction are quercetin, ellagic acid, and genistein, and it exerts its therapeutic effects on HP-associated chronic atrophic gastritis through a mechanism involving multiple components, targets, and pathways