Unveiling the Mechanisms of Panax Notoginseng in Accelerating Postoperative Recovery after Lung Surgery: A Comprehensive Study.

BACKGROUND

Enhanced recovery after lung surgery is important as it impacts patient outcomes. Among Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbs, Panax Notoginseng (PN) has been studied for its remarkable properties, making it a promising candidate for accelerating postoperative healing. However, the mechanisms of PN in enhancing recovery after lung surgery remain incompletely understood.

METHODS

First, animal experiments were conducted to validate the efficacy of PN in postoperative recovery following lung surgery. Then, herb-component-target network and Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network were constructed to identify the bioactive components of PN and key protein targets. Molecular docking was employed to validate the interactions between the active components and candidate recovery targets.

RESULTS

Animal experiments demonstrated that PN significantly improved postoperative recovery by enhancing collagen deposition and reducing pulmonary edema around the wound. Eight active components from PN and 251 targets associated with its therapeutic effects were revealed; 650 targets were linked to postoperative recovery after lung surgery. Key protein targets, including SRC, PIK3R1, and EGFR, were identified, with Quercetin, Liquiritigenin, and Mandenol emerging as the core active ingredients. Molecular docking demonstrated that the core components exhibited favorable binding energies with target proteins. KEGG and GO enrichment analyses highlighted the PI3KAKT signaling pathway and epithelial cell proliferation as critical pathways and biological processes underlying PN's efficacy.

DISCUSSION: PN may offer a novel strategy to enhance postoperative lung repair, as it may activate the PI3K/AKT pathway, which links traditional Chinese medicine with postoperative recovery. In this work, PN contributes to ERAS protocols in thoracic surgery, bridging molecular insights with clinical outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The active components of PN, including Quercetin, Liquiritigenin, and Mandenol, can accelerate postoperative recovery after lung surgery by potentially activating the PI3K-AKT pathway and promoting collagen deposition processes.