This study aimed to explore the multi-target mechanism of action of the innovative Chinese herbal compounds YCNHF Ⅰ (comprising 6 herbs with both edible and medicinal values, including Gardenia jasminoides and others)/Ⅱ (comprising 6 herbs without edible value, including Scutellaria baicalensis and others) in treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We screened the active components of the compounds and IBD-related targets by mining multiple databases, then constructed a "compound-target-pathway" network and validated it using molecular docking. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was employed to identify components that entered the bloodstream, and their antioxidant capacity was assessed. In lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory Caco-2 cell models, we measured the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), as well as mitochondrial membrane potential. Additionally, we established a rat model of ulcerative colitis (UC) induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), after administering the compounds via intragastric gavage, colonic pathology was observed via hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and p-Akt expression in colon tissues was detected by Western blot. Results showed that YCNHF Ⅰ and YCNHF Ⅱ shared 191 and 186 common targets with IBD-related targets, respectively. These targets were mainly enriched in signaling pathways such as PI3K-Akt and in mitochondrial function regulatory networks. Components like quercetin showed strong binding affinity to targets including IL-6. The two compounds had 53 and 72 blood-entering components, respectively, exhibited antioxidant activity, inhibited pro-inflammatory factor expression, and improved mitochondrial membrane potential. They also alleviated pathological damage in UC rats and regulated the PI3K-Akt pathway. This experiment was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Yan'an University (approval number: IIT-G-2025064).
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |