npj Science of Food (Feb 2025)

Network pharmacology study on the mechanism of berberine in Alzheimer’s disease model

  • Yaoyi Zhang,
  • Shuai Lv,
  • Pinyuan Huang,
  • Lingmin Xiao,
  • Nan Lin,
  • En Huang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-025-00378-y
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 1
pp. 1 – 16

Abstract

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Abstract Research indicated that berberine (BBR) plays a protective role in modulating Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study aimed to explore the target genes of BBR associated with AD therapy using a network pharmacology study. Through network pharmacology analysis, two main potential target genes, β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG), of BBR for AD therapy were screened out. Further experiments demonstrated that BV2 and C8-D1A treated with BBR were decreased in the mRNA and protein expression of APP and presenilin 1 while PPARG was increased with a reduction in the NF-κB pathway. A similar result was shown in vivo. Through a network pharmacology study, this study supported that BBR played a protective role in the AD mice model via blocking APP processing and amyloid plaque formation. It also promotes PPARG expression to blockage of NF-κB pathway-mediated inflammatory response and neuroinflammation.