Network pharmacology and in vitro experimental verification unveil glycyrrhizin from glycyrrhiza glabra alleviates acute pancreatitis via modulation of MAPK and STAT3 signaling pathways.

ABSTRACT

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a severe gastrointestinal inflammatory disease with increasing mortality and morbidity. Glycyrrhiza glabra, commonly known as Liquorice, is a widely used plant containing bioactive compounds like Glycyrrhizin, which possesses diverse medicinal properties such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, and anticancer activities. The objective of this study is to investigate the active components, relevant targets, and underlying mechanisms of the traditional Chinese medicine Glycyrrhiza glabra in the treatment of AP. Utilizing various computational biology methods, we explored the potential targets and molecular mechanisms through Glycyrrhizin supplementation. Computational results indicated that Glycyrrhizin shows promising pharmacological potential, particularly with mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 (MAPK3) protein (degree 70), forming stable complexes with Glycyrrhizin through ionic and hydrogen bonding interactions, with a binding free energy (ΔGbind) of -33.01 ± 0.08 kcal/mol. Through in vitro experiments, we validated that Glycyrrhizin improves primary pancreatic acinar cell injury by inhibiting the MAPK/STAT3/AKT signaling pathway. Overall, MAPK3 emerges as a reliable target for Glycyrrhizin's therapeutic effects in AP treatment. This study provides novel insights into the active components and potential targets and molecular mechanisms of natural products.