Emerging opportunities in network pharmacology mechanisms of Saussurea costus in regulating inflammation and intestinal barrier dysfunction in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a heterogeneous metabolic liver disorder involving excessive lipid deposition, redox imbalance, inflammatory activation, and disruption of gut-liver axis homeostasis. Loss of epithelial junction integrity and increased intestinal permeability are increasingly considered important contributors to disease progression. Saussurea costus contains several phytochemicals with reported antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential, but its molecular relevance to NAFLD and intestinal barrier regulation remains incompletely defined. Objective: This study aimed to predict the molecular targets and biological pathways through which Saussurea costus may influence NAFLD, with particular emphasis on inflammation and intestinal junction-associated mechanisms. Methods: Phytochemicals reported from Saussurea costus were compiled from the literature and screened for drug-likeness using ADMETlab. Chemical information, including canonical SMILES and three-dimensional structures, was obtained from PubChem. Putative compound targets and NAFLD-related targets were retrieved from public resources and integrated to identify shared targets.