Objective  To explore the active components, core targets, key pathways, and molecular mechanisms of four types of insect tea in regulating diabetes based on network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Methods  The active components of four types of insect tea (Huaxiang insect tea, trilobite insect tea, eagle tea, and Kuding insect tea) were searched through relevant literature. The SwissADME platform was used to screen these active components, and the SwissTargetPrediction database was utilized to predict the targets of the active compounds in insect tea. A component-disease target Venn diagram was constructed, and the insect tea-active component-target-disease network diagram was constructed using Cytoscape 3.10.2 software. The STRING 12.0 database was used to generate a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network diagram, while the DAVID database and the Microbioinformatics platform were employed to draw enrichment analysis charts and pathway diagrams. Finally, molecular docking results were visualized using PyMol software.

Results  A total of 32 active ingredients and 576 corresponding targets were identified in four types of insect tea. There were 2 110 diabetes disease targets, with 168 intersecting targets. The mechanism of insect tea may be related to multiple core targets, such as AKT1, EGFR, and SRC. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that insect tea regulated diabetes by involving biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions such as negative regulation of gene expression, response to xenobiotic stimulus, positive regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II, enzyme binding, and homotypic protein binding. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) signaling pathways suggested that insect tea mainly involved lipid metabolism, atherosclerosis, estrogen signaling pathways, and endocrine resistance. The results of molecular docking showed that the flavonoids luteolin and baicalein in insect tea formed relatively stable conformations with key targets EGFR and SRC.

Conculsion  Insect tea can regulate diabetes by multi-target and multi-pathway mechanisms, which provides a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of insect tea.

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