Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36928463›Full record

ArticlePloS one2023

Network pharmacology predicts combinational effect of novel herbal pair consist of Ephedrae herba and Coicis semen on adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells.

Dong-Woo Lim, Ga-Ram Yu, Jai-Eun Kim, Won-Hwan Park

Open access · goldFull text read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Iranian journal of basic medical sciences · 2025
    Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Dong-Woo LimDepartment of Diagnostic, College of Korean Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-3179-9439
Ga-Ram YuDepartment of Diagnostic, College of Korean Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0003-1559-4326
Jai-Eun KimDepartment of Pathology, College of Korean Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-1368-6684
Won-Hwan ParkDepartment of Diagnostic, College of Korean Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang, Republic of Korea.
Dongguk University · KR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHerbal combinations are regarded as basic strategy in oriental medicine with various purposes. Ephedrae herba (EH) and Coicis semen (CS) are two herbal medicines used to treat obesity in many herbal prescriptions, yet the effect and significance of this herbal pair have not been evaluated. PURPOSE: This study is to elucidate the effect of a novel herbal pair, EH-CS, on obesity and identify the key synergistic mechanism underlying it.

methodsWe investigated the network of herbs comprising the anti-obesity herbal prescriptions. Using the tools of network pharmacology, we investigated the compound-target interactions of EH and CS in combination to predict their effects in combination. Five EH-CS samples with different EH to CS ratios were prepared to investigate their efficacies in adipocytes.

results1-mode network analysis of herbs in prescriptions based on literature review revealed the importance of EH-CS in anti-obesity prescriptions. The herbal combination comprised of equivalent weights (1:1) of EH and CS most potently reduced mature adipocyte adiposity, although several markers of adipogenesis and lipid synthesis were more suppressed by pure EH. PTGS2 (COX-2 gene) expression, a common target of EH and CS as deduced by compound-target network analysis, was affected by EH-CS extract treatments. However, EH at high concentration (25 μg/ml) notably increased PTGS2 expression without adversely affecting cell viability. However, EH-CS combination of the same concentration markedly decreased PTGS2 gene expression.

conclusionThese results show that the compounds in CS and EH act in concert to enhance the pharmacological effect of EH, but control unexpected effects of EH treatment.

Indexed as

AdipogenesisCoixDrugs, Chinese HerbalNetwork Pharmacology3T3-L1 CellsAnimalsCyclooxygenase 2EphedraMiceObesityCyclooxygenase 2Drugs, Chinese HerbalEphedrae herba

Identifiers

PMID36928463
PMCPMC10019655
OpenAlexW4327565182

What Socratic holds

Textfull text, public
LicenceCC BY
measurements read57
identifiers read15
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.