Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40004189›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2025

Exploring the Effects and Mechanisms of Valerian Volatile Oil in Treating Insomnia Using Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking, and Molecular Dynamics Simulation-Based Approaches.

Halimulati Muhetaer, Huajian Li, Bingna Wang, Xinyi Cai, Yang Zhang, Yongxian Li, Chuwen Li, Bo Wu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Pharmaceutical biology · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Exploring the Molecular Mechanism of 1,25(OH)Current issues in molecular biology · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Halimulati MuhetaerGuangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, The NMPA and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China.
Huajian LiGuangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, The NMPA and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China.
Bingna WangGuangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, The NMPA and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China.
Xinyi CaiGuangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, The NMPA and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China.
Yang ZhangGuangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, The NMPA and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China.ORCID 0009-0004-0722-5680
Yongxian LiGuangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, The NMPA and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China.
Chuwen LiGuangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, The NMPA and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China.ORCID 0000-0002-5932-8188
Bo WuGuangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, The NMPA and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China.

Funding

the Medical Science and Technology Research Fund Program of Guangdong Province B2021031the Open Project of Guangdong Key Laboratory J24413006the Scientific Research Project of Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Traditional Chinese Medicine 20221251the Tertiary Education Scientific research project of Guangzhou Municipal Education Bureau 2024312098
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Valerian possesses a multitude of pharmacological effects, including sedative and hypnotic properties, antihypertensive effects, antibacterial activity, and liver protection. Insomnia, one of the most prevalent disorders in contemporary society, significantly impacts people's daily lives. This study aims to explore the anti-insomnia effects of valerian volatile oil (VVO) and investigate its potential mechanism of action through chemical analysis, network pharmacology, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and experimental validation. Through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis and drug-likeness screening, we identified 38 active compounds. Network pharmacology studies revealed that these 38 compounds might affect 103 targets associated with insomnia, such as monoamine oxidase B (MAOB), dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2), monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), interleukin 1β (IL1B), solute carrier family 6 member 4 (SLC6A4), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A (HTR2A), which contribute to regulating the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, 5-hydroxytryptaminergic synapse, and calcium signaling pathways. The results of the molecular dynamics simulations indicated that bis[(6,6-dimethyl-3-bicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-enyl)methyl] (E)-but-2-enedioate exhibited a stabilizing interaction with MAOB. The animal studies demonstrated that gavage administration of a high dose (100 mg/kg) of VVO significantly diminished autonomous activity, decreased sleep latency, and extended sleep duration in mice. Furthermore, the results of the Western blot experiment indicated that VVO interacts with MAOB, resulting in decreased expression levels of MAOB in the cerebral cortex. This study demonstrates the protective mechanism of VVO against insomnia through chemical analysis, network pharmacology, and experimental validation and extends the possible applications of VVO, which is a potential therapeutic ingredient for use in insomnia treatment.

Indexed as

Oils, VolatileSleep Initiation and Maintenance DisordersValerianAnimalsHumansMaleMiceMolecular Docking SimulationMolecular Dynamics SimulationNetwork PharmacologyOils, Volatileinsomniamolecular dynamicsmonoamine oxidasesnetwork pharmacologyvalerian volatile oil

Identifiers

PMID40004189
PMCPMC11855732

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.