The potential mechanism of bunge auriculate root on the secretory function of the submandibular gland was investigated by using the method of network pharmacology,and the preliminary verification was carried out by mouse experiments.By searching the relevant information of the active components of bunge auriculate root,analyzing the drug-likeness,and obtaining disease-related targets,and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis was carried out with the targets of the active components.We also performed enrichment analysis of intersecting target genes to find in vivo targets of dry mouth symptoms,uncover disease-target-compound correspondence,and find the ingredients (groups) associated with dry mouth.Then,animal experiments were carried out to verify its effects on water intake and the expression of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M3 (CHRM3) mRNA and aquaporin 5 (AQP5) protein in submaxillary gland tissues of mice.The study analysis obtained 10 components in line with the rule of five,found 80 drug targets,3 539 disease targets,and 24 common targets for both,involving 22 signaling pathways such as apoptosis,p53 signaling pathway,and VEGF signaling pathway,and affecting salivary fraction by regulating CHRM3,amine oxidase (MAOB),glutamate receptor 2 (GRIA2),and nitric oxide synthase,endothelial (NOS3) related targets.The experiment showed that continuous oral ethanol extract of bunge auriculate root caused a certain tendency to increase salivary secretion in mice,and upregulated the expression level of CHRM3 mRNA and its downstream signal transduction effector protein AQP5 protein in the submandibular gland,without pathological damage to submandibular gland tissue.It is suggested that the main active constituents of bunge auriculate root could promote salivary secretion by affecting CHRM3 and AQP5.