Formulation principles and mechanisms of TCM patent prescriptions for PCOS: A data mining study from CNIPA

The study applied data mining and network pharmacology to investigate the formulation principles and potential mechanisms of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) patent prescriptions for treating polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in China, offering insights for effective clinical application and providing the foothold for further drug research and development. All TCM patent prescriptions targeting PCOS were extracted from the China National Intellectual Property Administration website. Data analysis, clustering, and association rules were performed using SPSS and IBM SPSS Modeler. A core herb-drug network was visualized with Cytoscape. Active ingredients and targets of new TCM prescriptions were collected, with disease-related targets being identified through pertinent databases. Further Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway were analyzed via Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery. Seventy-Eight prescriptions met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis (2007-2024), containing 320 distinct herbs. The 5 most frequently used single herbs were Cuscuta chinensis Lam., Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Cyperus rotundus L., Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge and Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) Libosch. ex Fisch. & C.A. Mey. Prominent herbal pairs and triples were identified. Herbs with high frequency were primarily assigned to the liver, kidney, and spleen meridians. They were characterized by warm and plain properties, predominantly displaying bitter and sweet flavors. The clustering analysis yielded 5 novel TCM prescriptions (C1-C5) with specific clinical relevance for PCOS. Potential mechanisms were explored through drug-disease target intersections and KEGG pathways analysis was revealed. TCM patent prescriptions for PCOS were based on "tonifying the kidney, invigorating the spleen, and smoothing the liver" for fundamental care, and "regulating qi, resolving phlegm, and removing dampness," "activating blood circulation and dissolving blood stasis," and "softening hardness to disperse stagnation" for symptomatic relief. Data mining suggests potential mechanisms and therapeutic pathways that may underpin efficacy, primarily through pathways related to lipid and atherosclerosis, NF-kappa B, AGE-RAGE, Estrogen, FoxO, p53, and TNF signaling pathway. This study established a reference point for the clinical management of PCOS. Offering valuable guidance for clinical practice and laying a preliminary foundation for developing new therapeutic interventions.