ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Chem.
Sec. Analytical Chemistry
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fchem.2025.1563598
Unveiling the Material Basis of Shenshuaifu Granule and Its Therapeutic Mechanism in Chronic Renal Failure: A Combined Approach of High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry and In Silico Technology
Provisionally accepted
Qingbao Huang1Leyao Xian2Xiansheng Song2Dawei Zou2
Junqi Chen1Yue Chen1Wanquan Li1Shangbin Zhang1
Huichao Liang1*- 1The Fourth Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
- 2The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
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Background: Chronic renal failure (CRF) is a serious state of continuous development in various chronic renal diseases. Shenshuaifu granule is a hospital preparation of Chinese medicines in Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. It has been reported to delay the progression of renal failure in clinical application, but its material basis and mechanism are still unclear.Methods: In this study, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem with Q-Exactive-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QE-MS), network pharmacology, and molecular docking technology were used to rapidly explore the plant metabolites of Shenshuaifu granule and its potential mechanisms.The results showed that a total of 56 plant metabolites were identified from Shenshuaifu granule, including 9 prototype metabolites detected in the rat plasma after administration. Through network pharmacology and molecular docking technology, the plant metabolites that enter the blood from Shenshuaifu granule may regulate the key targets, such as TNF, SRC, STAT3, EGFR, BCL2, JUN, PTGS2, etc. The enrichment analysis of GO and KEGG showed that the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, and TNF signaling pathway were the main mechanisms of Shenshuaifu granule in the treatment of CRF.Flavonoids and quinones in Shenshuaifu granule are potential active plant metabolites, suggesting anti-inflammatory, anti-glomerulosclerosis, and fibrosis effects on CRF.
Keywords: Chronic renal failure (CRF), Shenshuifu granule, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway, UHPLC-QE-MS, Flavonoids
Received: 20 Jan 2025; Accepted: 28 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Huang, Xian, Song, Zou, Chen, Chen, Li, Zhang and Liang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Huichao Liang, The Fourth Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
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