Honghua extract mediated potent inhibition of COVID-19 host cell pathways

Malika Madikyzy; Meruyert Tilegen; Guldan Nazarbek; Chenglin Mu; Aidana Kutzhanova; Xugang Li; Cuiping Ma; Yingqiu Xie

doi:10.1038/s41598-022-15338-9

Scientific Reports (Aug 2022)

Honghua extract mediated potent inhibition of COVID-19 host cell pathways

Malika Madikyzy,
Meruyert Tilegen,
Guldan Nazarbek,
Chenglin Mu,
Aidana Kutzhanova,
Xugang Li,
Cuiping Ma,
Yingqiu Xie

Affiliations

Malika Madikyzy: Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Humanities, Nazarbayev University
Meruyert Tilegen: Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Humanities, Nazarbayev University
Guldan Nazarbek: Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Humanities, Nazarbayev University
Chenglin Mu: Sino-German Joint Research Center on Agricultural Biology, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University
Aidana Kutzhanova: Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Humanities, Nazarbayev University
Xugang Li: Sino-German Joint Research Center on Agricultural Biology, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University
Cuiping Ma: Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Qingdao Nucleic Acid Rapid Detection Engineering Research Center, College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology
Yingqiu Xie: Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Humanities, Nazarbayev University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-15338-9
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

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Abstract Honghua (Carthami flos) and Xihonghua (Croci stigma) have been used in anti-COVID-19 as Traditional Chinese Medicine, but the mechanism is unclear. In this study, we applied network pharmacology by analysis of active compounds and compound-targets networks, enzyme kinetics assay, signaling pathway analysis and investigated the potential mechanisms of anti-COVID-19. We found that both herbs act on signaling including kinases, response to inflammation and virus. Moreover, crocin likely has an antiviral effect due to its high affinity towards the human ACE2 receptor by simulation. The extract of Honghua and Xihonghua exhibited nanozyme/herbzyme activity of alkaline phosphatase, with distinct fluorescence. Thus, our data suggest the great potential of Honghua in the development of anti-COVID-19 agents.

Published in Scientific Reports

ISSN: 2045-2322 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine; Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/srep/

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