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To Explore the Active Components, Targets, and Potential Effects of Emodin in the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer

Libin Chen1, Jiante Li2, Zhicheng Cheng1

  • 1Department of Gastroenterology, Cangshan Hospital, The 900Th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China.

PPAR Research
|November 21, 2025
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Emodin, a natural compound, shows significant anti-colorectal cancer (CRC) effects by targeting multiple genes and pathways, notably the PPARγ-TP53 axis. This study validates its potential for CRC treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Oncology
  • Computational Biology

Background:

  • Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant global health challenge.
  • Emodin, a natural anthraquinone, has demonstrated potential anticancer properties.
  • Understanding emodin's molecular mechanisms in CRC is crucial for therapeutic development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the anti-CRC effects of emodin.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying emodin's action using network pharmacology and experimental validation.

Main Methods:

  • Network pharmacology approach to identify emodin's active components and targets against CRC.
  • Construction of compound-disease and protein-protein interaction networks.
  • Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses.
  • Molecular docking, in vitro cell assays, and in vivo xenograft models for validation.

Main Results:

  • Identified 37 active components and 235 targets of emodin, with 82 overlapping CRC-related genes.
  • Highlighted core targets including CASP3, MMP9, BCL2, PTGS2, and IL1B, enriched in apoptosis and inflammation pathways.
  • Emodin suppressed CRC cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in vitro and inhibited tumor growth in vivo.
  • Emodin activated the PPARγ-TP53 signaling axis.

Conclusions:

  • Emodin exhibits anti-CRC activity through a multitarget, multipathway mechanism.
  • Modulation of the PPARγ-TP53 axis is a key pathway for emodin's therapeutic effect.
  • Emodin holds promise as a natural compound for colorectal cancer treatment.
Keywords:
PPARγcolorectal canceremodinmolecular dockingnetwork pharmacology

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