**5. Conclusions**

We explored the potential mechanisms of DGS as a phytotherapy for CAD by employing a network pharmacology-driven strategy. Our findings suggest that DGS may exert proangiogenic and vasodilatory effects through the activation of the VEGF/VEGFR2/Akt/ Erk/eNOS signaling pathway. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics suggest that salvianolic acid C may be a key component in exerting angiogenic and vasodilatory effects. Furthermore, our study results can serve as a reference for the mechanism of DGS as a natural product for phytotherapy.

**Author Contributions:** Conception and design of the work, Y.-G.Z., X.-X.L., Z.-M.L. and L.-W.H.; data collection, Y.-G.Z., X.-X.L., J.-C.Z., Y.-T.-J.Z., R.D., N.W. and Z.-H.M.; analysis and interpretation of the data, Y.-G.Z., X.-X.L., J.-C.Z., Y.-T.-J.Z., R.D., N.W. and Z.-H.M.; statistical analysis, Y.-G.Z., X.-X.L., J.-C.Z., R.D., N.W. and Z.-H.M.; drafting of the manuscript, Y.G-.Z., X.-X.L., J.-C.Z., R.D., N.W. and Z.-H.M.; critical revision of the manuscript, L.L., S.-L.W., Y.-L.M., S.-S.W., Z.-H.M. and L.-W.H.; project administration, Z.-M.L. and L.-W.H. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This work was funded by the Funding of the Key Project at Central Government Level: The ability establishment of sustainable use for valuable Chinese medicine resources (2060302), Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (ZR2019MH037), and Academic Promotion Programe of Shandong First Medical University (No. 2019LJ003).

**Institutional Review Board Statement:** Not applicable.

**Informed Consent Statement:** Not applicable.

**Data Availability Statement:** The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

**Acknowledgments:** Thanks to the Zebrafish Center of School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences for providing zebrafish.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.

**Sample Availability:** Not available.
