• Bushen Qiangjin capsule contains 85 active components, with kaempferol and ferulic acid as key components, and core targets including AKT1 and PIK3CA.
• Mendelian randomization analyses revealed a direct positive causal relationship between MAPK8 expression and knee osteoarthritis risk.
• Molecular docking demonstrated strong binding affinity of kaempferol and ferulic acid to core targets, suggesting potential therapeutic interactions.
• In vitro experiments confirmed that Bushen Qiangjin capsule promotes chondrocyte extracellular matrix synthesis and downregulates MAPK8 expression, supporting its anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective effects.