Erigeron breviscapus (EB), also known as Dandelion Flower, is the dried whole herb of the Asteraceae plant.
Studies have shown that EB has the effects of dilating blood vessels, improving microcirculation, increasing blood flow, expanding the visual field, and protecting retinal ganglion cell damage in rats caused by elevated intraocular pressure.
A study was conducted using "Network Pharmacology" to elucidate the mechanism of action of EB in the treatment of glaucoma.
Network pharmacology is a branch of science that, based on the theoretical foundations of systems biology and multidirectional pharmacology, utilizes biomolecular network analysis methods to examine the effective components and their synergistic effects in TCM prescriptions or single compounds from both molecular and systemic perspectives.
It scientifically elucidates the pharmacological mechanisms of TCM. Built on the interaction network of “disease-gene-target-drug,” it emphasizes analyzing the molecular correlation patterns between drugs and their therapeutic targets from a systemic and holistic approach.
EB screening in the study identified 12 active ingredients and 161 gene targets for glaucoma treatment.
EB was found to have pharmacological effects such as vasodilation, improvement of microcirculation, and enhancement of blood supply to the heart and brain; regulation of blood lipids, reduction of blood viscosity, and improvement of blood rheology; inhibition of platelet and red blood cell aggregation, promotion of fibrinolytic activity; scavenging of oxygen free radicals, combating lipid peroxidation, and ischemia-reperfusion injury.
The main chemical components of EB have been gradually revealed and elucidated.
This study identified 50 active components through TCMSP screening, including quinic acid, ethyl caffeate, and methyl caffeate, all of which are caffeoyl ester compounds. Among the 12 effective active components, most are flavonoids, such as luteolin, quercetin, kaempferol, naringenin, 6-hydroxykaempferol, and baicalein.
Based on network pharmacology, the researchers identified the action targets of 12 active components and the disease targets of glaucoma, and then found the intersection, resulting in a total of 161 targets for EB in the treatment of glaucoma.
By constructing the drug-active ingredient-target-disease network diagram, it can be seen that EB exhibits a multi-component, multi-target action mode in the treatment of glaucoma.
EB may protect or restore optic nerve function in the treatment of glaucoma by promoting cell proliferation, inhibiting apoptosis.
Therefore, EB treatment of glaucoma is a complex process involving multiple components, multiple target actions, and multi-pathway coordination.
REFERENCE:
Yang E, Zhu Y, Chen X, Xie X, Ma Z. Exploring the potential mechanisms of Erigeron breviscapus in the treatment of glaucoma based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. Medicine (Baltimore). 2025 Aug 15;104(33):e43970. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000043970. PMID: 40826712; PMCID: PMC12366968.
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