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Background Geraniol is an acyclic monoterpene alcohol, which is extracted from the ethereal oils of aromatic plants. A systematic analysis of its mechanism of action has not yet been carried out. Methods In this study, the druggability of geraniol was assessed via Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database (TCMSP), and the potential targets of geraniol were identified using the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD). Additionally, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed using WebGestalt. Drug-target-pathway networks were constructed using Cytoscape to give a visual view. Results Our findings showed that geraniol has superb druggability with 38 putative identified target genes. GO, KEGG, and network analyses revealed that these targets were associated with cancer, inflammatory immunoreactions, and other physiological processes. Conclusion Geraniol is predicted to target multiple proteins and pathways that shape a network which can exert systematic pharmacological effects.

Yue Huang, Xiao-Lin Yang, Yi-Hua Ni, Zheng-Min Xu Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China Background: Geraniol is a monoterpene alcohol that has anti-fungal, anti-cancer and anti-nociceptive properties, but its anti-allergic rhinitis (AR) property is unclear.Methods: In this study, the anti-inflammatory role and its possible mechanisms of geraniol in human mast cell line (HMC-1) cells stimulated by inflammatory trigger phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate plus A23187 (PMACI), as well as in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced AR mice models were investigated.Results: PMACI results in a significant increase in the production of proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, MCP-1, IL-6 and as well as histamine. Geraniol was found to inhibit both TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 protein and mRNA expressions at concentrations of 40, 80, 160μM. In OVA-induced AR models, geraniol treatment was able to suppress AR biomarkers (OVA-specific IgE and IL-1β as well as histamine) and nasal rub scores. Interestingly, p38, a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling family, was found to be increasingly hypophosphorylated as geraniol dose was increased. Similar decreases in the nuclear level of p65, a member of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway, were also observed.Conclusion: Our data highlights that the anti-inflammatory properties of geraniol on AR-related markers in activated HCM-1 cells and OVA-induced AR models may be mediated through the regulation of the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway. Keywords: geraniol, HMC-1, allergic rhinitis, PMACI