**3.1** *In silico* **target prediction and gene expression network of key ginseng constituents**

The ligands (Ginsenoside Rb1, Rc, Rg3, Re, F1, C; Betasitosterol, Panaxadione, Daucosterin (also known as Sitogluside or Eleutheroside A), and 20(R) protopanaxatriol) were subjected to *in silico* target prediction on Swiss TargetPrediction server where *Homo sapiens* was selected as target organism [47] as shown in **Table 3**. Forty-five (45) genes (PTAFR, IL2, STAT3, VEGFA, FGF1, FGF2, HPSE, PSEN1, PSENEN, NCSTN, BCL2L1, PRKCA, HSD11B1, CYP19A1, SIRT2, PTPN1, CCR1, VDR, PTPN11, NR1I2, REN, BACE1, NR3C1, INSR, ITK,


**Table 3.**

*Predicted genes of selected Ginseng constituent.*

F2R, AR, HMGCR, CYP51A1, NPC1L1, NR1H3, CYP19A1, CYP17A1, RORC, ESR1, ESR2, CYP2C19, CHRM2, SLC6A2, SLC6A4, ACHE, HSD11B1, ATP12A, HMGCR, CYP51A1) were extracted from the predicted targets and subjected to expression network analyses (transcription factor enrichment analysis, protein–protein interaction network expansion and kinase enrichment analysis), using eXpression2Kinases (X2K) Web server [48] as shown **Figures 2**–**5**.

The genes that were targeted by Betasitosterol (**Table 3**) have greater than 30% probability (35–70%), Daucosterin targeted Interleukin-2 (IL2) with 60% probability, while others were less than 30%. The best target of Betasitosterol is Androgen Receptor (AR), followed by 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, Cytochrome P450 51, Niemann-Pick C1-like protein 1, LXR-alpha, Cytochrome P450 19A1, Cytochrome P450 17A1, Nuclear receptor ROR-gamma and others.

This study shows that SUZ12 has the highest score as transcription factor influenced by the ginseng, this is followed by STAT3, RUNX1, FOS, VDR, RCOR1,

#### **Figure 2.**

*Transcription Factor Enrichment Analysis (TFEA).*

**Figure 3.** *Protein–Protein Interaction.*
