Chemical and Mechanistic Prediction Analysis of Anti-obesity Properties of Guang Hawthorn (Malus doumeri) Leaves using Network Analysis.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to characterize the bioactive compounds in Guang hawthorn (Malus doumeri) leaf extracts and evaluate their potential anti-obesity effects.

METHODS

70% Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts from M. doumeri leaves were administered to high-fat diet-induced obese rats. Serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), highdensity lipoprotein (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) were assessed. The chemical composition of the leaf extracts (HML) was analyzed using multi-chromatography, NMR, and mass spectrometry. Network pharmacology approaches were employed to explore the interactions between the identified compounds and obesity-related targets.

RESULTS

Rats receiving a high dose of the leaf extracts exhibited significantly lower TC, TG, and LDL-C levels compared to controls (p < 0.05), with a concurrent increase in HDL-C (p < 0.05). Three bioactive compounds-phlorizin, sieboldin, and kumatakenin β-7-O-glucoside-were identified in HML. Through database screening, 373 unique targets for these compounds and 8484 obesity-related targets were identified. Using R and Cytoscape software, 272 overlapping targets and 32 core targets were determined. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the anti- obesity effects of HML were related to phosphorylation, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and kinase activities. Notably, the 32 core targets were implicated in cancer-related proteoglycans, progesterone- mediated oocyte maturation via FoxO, and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

This research demonstrates the anti-obesity potential of sieboldin and kumatakenin β-7-O-glucoside in HML. These compounds, along with phlorizin, modulated the PI3K-Akt and FoxO signaling pathways and proteoglycan synthesis, contributing to the reversal of obesityrelated effects. These findings suggest that M. doumeri leaf extracts may offer a promising natural therapeutic approach for obesity management.