Volatile Compounds in Musk and Their Anti-Stroke Mechanisms.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Musk, a traditional Chinese medicine, is used for its blood-activating and resuscitation properties.
• Volatile compounds (VCs) in musk are crucial for its therapeutic effects, particularly in stroke treatment.
• Comprehensive analysis of VCs in different musk types is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the differences in volatile compounds (VCs) across various musk types.
• To identify potential therapeutic targets and mechanisms of musk VCs for stroke treatment.
• To explore the pharmacological basis of musk's efficacy in traditional medicine.

Main Methods:

• Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to analyze VCs in musk samples.
• Network pharmacology was employed to predict targets and pathways related to stroke.
• Molecular docking was performed to validate interactions between VCs and identified targets.

Main Results:

• 99 VCs were identified, with muscone, phenol, acetic acid, and isovaleric acid being prominent.
• Differences in organic acids and ketones distinguished white musk from other varieties.
• Network pharmacology identified 180 potential stroke-related targets, highlighting SRC, EGFR, ESR1, PTGS2, and DRD2 as key targets.
• Molecular docking confirmed binding affinity between major VCs and key targets.

Conclusions:

• Distinct volatile compositions exist among different musk types.
• Musk VCs, particularly muscone and phenol, show significant potential for stroke treatment.
• The identified targets and pathways provide a basis for understanding musk's therapeutic mechanisms in neurological disorders.