Abstract
An integrated approach combining metabolomics, network pharmacology, and molecular docking was employed to systematically explore the serum-absorbed components of jujube, their potential targets, and regulatory pathways. UPLC-MS/MS was used to characterize the absorbed components, while network pharmacology was applied to predict potential targets associated with alcoholic liver disease (ALD). A total of 10 absorbed components and 323 common targets were identified. Among the key components, quercetin, (-)-epigallocatechin, and methyl gallate exhibited strong binding affinities to eight core targets, including AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), with quercetin showing the highest content. Jujube intervention significantly altered the serum metabolic profiles of healthy rats, with distinct differences observed between the control and jujube-treated groups. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the differential metabolites were mainly enriched in the diterpenoid biosynthesis pathway. These findings provide a systematic and preliminary characterization of the serum-absorbed components of jujube, their potential ALD-related targets, and their regulatory effects on serum metabolism in healthy rats. This study provides a preliminary theoretical reference and direction for further research on the potential role of jujube in ALD.