Investigation of Scutellaria baicalensis for Potential Neuroprotective Effect on the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder that lacks adequate treatment, and researchers have focused on rescuing or delaying neurodegeneration in PD. Scutellaria baicalensis has shown promising results in reducing oxidative stress and demonstrating a neuroprotective effect on PD animal models. However, the exact mechanism by which S. baicalensis treats PD is not yet fully understood. To investigate the potential molecular mechanisms underlying S. baicalensis antiparkinsonian efficacy, this study used network pharmacology. Open-source datasets were used to compile phytoconstituents, and virtual screening was conducted to identify hit phytoconstituents that target proteins involved in PD development. The drug-likeness value, ADMET analyses, and negative consequences of the phytochemical constituent were evaluated. Regulating pathways were anticipated with the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes (KEGG) record. 7 phytochemical constituents from S. baicalensis were found to alter the activity of proteins involved in PD occurrence, with 5-hydroxy-7,8- dimethoxyflavones having the highest docking result of -8.337 kcal/mol and active amino acids SER 91, as well as the drug-likeness value at the highest edge points. Through the networking of phytoconstituents, genes, and pathways, the study revealed that the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction route was tightly synchronized.