Treatment Effects of Natural Products on Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Vivo and Their Mechanisms: Based on Animal Experiments

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, non-specific inflammatory disease of the intestine that can be classified as ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Currently, the incidence of IBD is still increasing in developing countries. However, current treatments for IBD have limitations and do not fully meet the needs of patients. There is a growing demand for new, safe, and highly effective alternative drugs for IBD patients. Natural products (NPs) are used in drug development and disease treatment because of their broad biological activity, low toxicity, and low side effects. Numerous studies have shown that some NPs have strong therapeutic effects on IBD. In this paper, we first reviewed the pathogenesis of IBD as well as current therapeutic approaches and drugs. Further, we summarized the therapeutic effects of 170 different sources of NPs on IBD and generalized their modes of action and therapeutic effects. Finally, we analyzed the potential mechanisms of NPs for the treatment of IBD. The aim of our review is to provide a systematic and credible summary, thus supporting the research on NPs for the treatment of IBD and providing a theoretical basis for the development and application of NPs in drugs and functional foods.

Approaches, Strategies and Procedures for Identifying Anti-Inflammatory Drug Lead Molecules from Natural Products

“…Several reviews have been written on NPs as sources of new drugs [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ], yet no in-depth discussions of biodiscovery approaches and NP isolation and characterisation techniques have been reported previously. Hence, the current review aims to discuss the approaches used in selecting the starting materials, various extraction methods and modern techniques currently available for identifying anti-inflammatory small molecules from NP.…”

Silkworm pupa peptide ameliorates dextrose sodium sulfate-induced colitis by enhancing gut barriers and modifying gut flora

“…At present, the management of UC primarily depends on the administration of medications including anti-inflammatory agents, immunosuppressants, biologics, and antibiotics [5] . Although these medications can alleviate the symptoms of UC, they also have significant drawbacks, such as prolonged treatment duration, adverse side effects [6] , increased drug dependency [7] , and the occurrence of complications in the liver, gallbladder, and eyes [8][9] .…”

“…Previous studies have found that certain natural dietary supplements demonstrated promising therapeutic effects in the occurrence and development of UC. Examples include natural polysaccharides, proteins, polyphenols, and flavonoid compounds, among others [5,[10][11] . This suggests that naturally sourced functional ingredients may have been candidate drugs for treating UC.…”

“…This goal can be achieved through one or multiple approaches. For example, restoring the imbalance in the patient's gut microbiota, alleviating damage to the patient's intestinal barrier function, improving oxidative stress levels in the intestines, and enhancing the body's immune metabolism, among other methods [5] . Currently, a substantial body of research has demonstrated the potential of protein and bioactive peptides from food sources to improve experimental UC [13][14][15] .…”

Editorial: High altitude medicinal plants and their bioactive compounds for the prevention of oxidative stress-induced diseases and disorders

“…have been discovered from natural sources for their antimicrobial, cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and chemoprotective activities. There is considerable evidence to suggest that these phytochemicals are beneficial to health on an epidemiological and clinical level ( Chan et al, 2023 ; Du et al, 2023 ; Rahaman et al, 2023 ; Xu et al, 2023 ; Zhou et al, 2023 ; Zhu et al, 2023 ).…”