The function of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni (daylily) on promoting lactation is reported in several ancient Chinese medicine books. However, nowadays, there is no conclusive data to support this statement. In this study, we investigated the effect of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni extract (
HCE) on lactation insufficiency in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) dams and further explored the mechanism and functional components through network pharmacology. The results showed that
HCE could increase the offspring's weight, serum
prolactin (PRL), and
oxytocin (OT) level of CUMS dams. Network pharmacology analysis revealed that the facilitation of
HCE on lactation is the result of the comprehensive action of 62 components on 209 targets and 260 pathways, among this network,
quercetin,
kaempferol,
thymidine, etc., were the vital material basis,
signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3),
mitogen activity
protein kinase 1 (MAPK1),
tumor protein P53 (TP53), etc., were the core targets, and the
prolactin signaling pathway was the core pathway. In addition, verification test results showed that
HCE regulated the abnormal expression of the
prolactin signaling pathway, including STAT3,
cyclin D1 (CCND1), MAPK1, MAPK8, nuclear factor
NF-kappa-B p105 subunit (NFKB1), and
tyrosine-protein kinase (JAK2). In conclusion,
HCE exhibited a facilitation of lactation insufficiency, in which
quercetin,
kaempferol,
thymidine, etc., were the most important material basis. The mechanism of this promotional effect is mediated by the
prolactin signaling pathway in mammary gland.