Network pharmacology and in vivo studies reveal the pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms of Celastrol against acute hepatic injury induced by LPS

•This study construct PPI networks. Biological information software such as R Studio was used for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis, and virtual docking was performed. Network pharmacological approach can effectively predict the potential mechanism of Celastrol in improving acute liver injury.•In vivo, hepatic tissue and ultrastructure were observed, detected by ELISA, Westernblot, DCFH-DA fluorescence staining and PCR. Adequate in vivo validation could elucidate the protective mechanisms predicted by bioinformatics analysis.•Celastrol is a traditional Chinese medicine extracted from the root bark of tripterygium wilfordii. This study provides the theoretical basis for the hepatic protection of Celastrol and proposes the therapeutic potential of Celastrol in sepsis.