Mechanism of Schisandra chinensis in Treatment of Insomnia by Sleep–Wake Cycle Based on Network Pharmacology

Background Schisandra chinensis (SC) is the dried fruit of SC of Magnoliaceae, which has been used to treat many diseases, such as asthma, cough, insomnia, spontaneous sweating, and so on, for more than 2000 years. Lignans are important active ingredients of SC for improving insomnia, but it is not clear the exact material basis and mechanism of action. Objectives This study aimed to discover the mechanism by which SC treats insomnia through network pharmacology. Materials and Methods It was used to study the chemical constituents of SC by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS). The SC–Insomnia network and the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network were set up using network pharmacology to research the mechanisms by which SC treats insomnia. The targets found in network pharmacology were proven by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and real-time polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR). Results It identified 26 monomer compounds, all of which were lignans. From the SC–Insomnia and PPI networks, seven main active lignans were discovered, which could play an important part in treating insomnia, along with 11 targets that play an important part in the sleep−wake cycle. It was verified by the expression of GABA with ELISA and GABRA1 with RT-PCR. Conclusion Based on network pharmacology, the mechanism by which SC treats insomnia is through the sleep–wake cycle. It was a foundation to rationally apply SC for treating insomnia in the clinic.