Abstract: Objective To explore and validate the potential role of chicory extract against adriamycin cardiotoxicity. Methods Related literature was reviewed to sum up advances in research on protective effects of chicory against myocardial injury. Based on network pharmacology, the mechanism of chicory against myocardial injury was explored, and its coincidence with the cardiotoxicity mechanism of adriamycin was analyzed. A mouse model of cardiotoxicity was established using a single intraperitoneal injection of 15 mg·kg^-1 adriamycin, and low, medium and high doses of chicory water extract (3.8, 19, 38 g·kg^-1) were administered for 8 d to verify the potential effects of chicory against adriamycin cardiotoxicity. Results There were 13 articles on the effect of chicory against myocardial injury, all of which were concerned with basic research, involving chicory alcohol extract, chicory acid, chicory polysaccharide, andanimal models of myocardial injury caused by nano-lead and sepsis. The protective mechanism of chicory heart was mainly anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation stress, involving such signal pathways as ErbB, MAPK and PI3K-Akt as well as TP53, Src, STAT3, AKT1 and other core targets, which overlapped with the pathogenesis of adriamycin cardiotoxicity to a great extent. Chicory water extract could significantly increase the cardiac coefficient and terminal body weight of model mice, reduce the mouse levels of NT-ProBNP, CK-MB, LDH, and AST in the cardiac tissue homogenate and serum, and improve their disorder of cardiac tissue fiber arrangement and nuclear pyknosis. Conclusion Chicory has the potential effect of anti-adriamycin cardiotoxicity, which is worthy of more exploration and research to guide the rational clinical use of adriamycin and chicory.

Key words: chicory, adriamycin, cardiac toxicity, network pharmacology, drug effect excavation, pharmacodynamic validation, mice