Integrated meta-analysis, network pharmacology, computational biology, and in vitro experimental verification to reveal the anti-fatigue mechanism of Lycium barbarum

This study aims to elucidate Lycium barbarum (LB)'s anti-fatigue mechanisms. Meta-analysis confirmed LB's anti-fatigue capacity, while network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations identified key targets (SRC, HSP90AA1, EGFR, PRKACA, MAPK1). Furthermore, validation experiments in C2C12 cells demonstrated that LB mitigates H2O2-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and restores cell viability. qPCR analysis further revealed that LB downregulates the mRNA expression of CAT, IL-6 and TNF-α, while modulating the expression of these target genes. In summary, our data confirm the anti-fatigue effects of LB and elucidate that LB exerts multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway mechanisms in combating fatigue.