Screening and validation of active components in Rosa roxburghii Tratt for anti-pulmonary fibrosis based on a spectrum-effect relationship

Rosa roxburghii Tratt (RRT), a fruit with dual medicinal and nutritional applications, exhibits therapeutic potential against pulmonary fibrosis, yet the specific bioactive constituents underlying this effect remain uncharacterized. This study employed an integrated spectrum-effect relationship to systematically identify RRT's principal anti-pulmonary fibrosis components. Our findings demonstrate that five different polar extracts of RRT (RRTEs) differentially attenuated bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in murine models, with the ethyl acetate fraction (EAE) showing superior therapeutic efficacy. HPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS identified 56 compounds, and screened out four active ingredients related to anti-pulmonary fibrosis by spectrum-effect relationship. In vitro experiments revealed that ellagic acid, gallic acid and syringic acid inhibited fibroblast migration, attenuated intracellular ROS overproduction, and downregulated the expression levels of α-SMA and collagen I. In summary, we established for the first time a spectrum-effect relationship between RRT and pulmonary fibrosis, elucidated the key components, and provided a foundation for future clinical applications.