Pharmacological mechanism of Cinnamic acid in the treatment of Prostate cancer by network pharmacology

Abstract

Cinnamic acid (CM), a naturally occurring phenolic compound, has shown significant potential in therapeutic interventions for prostate cancer (PCa). Utilizing a network pharmacology approach, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-cancer properties of CM. A total of 78 potential targets were identified through integrating CM-related targets and PCa-related genes. The top 10 core hub targets were identified using protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses revealed key biological processes and pathways associated with these targets, such as apoptosis regulation, cell proliferation, and PI3K-Akt signaling. Our findings suggest that CM exerts anti-prostate cancer effects by modulating critical molecular targets and signaling pathways, laying a foundation for further experimental validation and therapeutic applications.