Mechanisms by which mangiferin alleviates pain in osteoarthritis: integration of microarray data analysis, network pharmacology, and experimental validation in a rat model

• Mangiferin alleviates osteoarthritis pain through multi-target and multi-pathway mechanisms, including anti-inflammatory pathways. • Network pharmacology identified 144 potential targets of mangiferin, with key targets including IL-6, TNF, and NF-κB1. • Animal experiments confirmed that 40 μmol/L mangiferin for 4 weeks significantly improved pain-related behavior in a rat model of osteoarthritis. • The integration of bioinformatics and experimental validation provides a novel approach for natural product research in osteoarthritis therapy.