Chinese Journal of Pharmacovigilance ›› 2026, Vol. 23 ›› Issue (10): 1108-1114.
DOI: 10.19803/j.1672-8629.20260257

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Hepatoprotective effects and underlying mechanisms of Ethanolic extract of Mongolian medicinal herb Scabiosa comosa on drug-induced liver injury in rats

Chen Xingyu1, Zhou Shuhong2,3, Wang Lu3, He Jianqi2, Tian Jinman4, Bao Fushun5, Zhang Wenxue1, Ma Ao6, Bao Lili2, Wang Minjie2,3#, Yi Letai1,3,7*   

  1. 1School of Pharmacy, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot Inner Mongolia 010059, China;
    2School of Basic Medical Sciences, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot Inner Mongolia 010059, China;
    3Key Laboratory of Quality Research and Efficacy Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Mongolian medicine), Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot Inner Mongolia 010059, China;
    4Clinical Medical College, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot Inner Mongolia 010017, China;
    5School of Mongolian Medical and Pharmaceutical Science, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot Inner Mongolia 010059, China;
    6School of Pharmacy, Baotou Medical College, Baotou Inner Mongolia 014000, China;
    7Medical Innovation Center for Nationalities, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot Inner Mongolia 010110, China
  • Received:2026-03-27 Online:2026-10-15 Published:2026-10-16

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Abstract: Objective To explore the pharmacodynamic material basis and potential mechanism of Mongolian medicine Scabiosa comosa Fisch. ex Roem. & Schult. ethanol extract against drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Methods After 8 weeks of preventive administration, an acute drug-induced liver injury model was established in C57BL/6 mice. Serum samples were collected to detect such liver function indicators as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Liver tissues were subjected to hematoxylin-eosin (HE) pathological staining and transcriptome sequencing analysis. Network pharmacology was applied to screen potential targets of the ethanolic extract of Scabiosa comosa against acute drug-induced liver injury. The mRNA expression levels of candidate targets were verified to identify core targets, which were subjected to molecular docking with blood-absorbed components of the extract to screen core active ingredients. Results Serum liver function tests found that the activities of ALT and AST were significantly reduced in the medium-dose group of Scabiosa comosa ethanolic extract compared with the model group, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). Pathological staining suggested that hepatic pathological damage was markedly mitigated in both low- and medium-dose extract groups. KEGG pathway enrichment and GO functional enrichment analyses of target gene sets from the transcriptome data revealed significant enrichment in biological processes and signaling pathways related to immune response. RT-qPCR results indicated that the expression levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (Vcam1), C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (Ccl2) and androgen receptor (Ar) were significantly different between the model group and the medium-dose extract group (P<0.05). Molecular docking results showed favorable binding affinities between Vcam1 and luteolin, Ccl2 and isochlorogenic acid A, as well as Ar and chlorogenic acid, with binding energies all lower than -6 kcal·mol-1. Conclusion The active components in the ethanolic extract of Scabiosa comosa, including luteolin, isochlorogenic acid A and chlorogenic acid, could alleviate inflammatory response and ameliorate acute drug-induced liver injury by regulating downstream molecules (Vcam1, Ccl2) involved in the TNF signaling pathway.

Key words: Mongolian Medicine, Scabiosa comosa, Drug-Induced Liver Injury, Acetaminophen, Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 (Vcam1), C-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 2 (Ccl2), Androgen Receptor (Ar), Ethanol Extract, Mice

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