Network pharmacology, molecular docking and experimental validation to elucidate the anti-ulcerative colitis mechanism of Rosa roxburghii Tratt. leaves.

Rosa roxburghii Tratt. leaves possess therapeutic potential for ulcerative colitis (UC) as a natural medicinal resource. However, the active constituents and mechanisms of R. roxburghii leaves against UC remain unelucidated. This study, therefore, systematically investigated their active components and therapeutic mechanisms. A total of 45 chemical constituents were characterised in R. roxburghii leaves by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS, with network pharmacology further predicting the active compounds and their potential mechanisms. Molecular docking demonstrated that the active components derived from R. roxburghii leaves exhibited remarkable binding potential towards IL-6 and NFKB1. Finally, the in vivo results revealed that R. roxburghii leaves could alleviate the colon injury of UC mice and reduce inflammatory levels.