Research progress of the active substances and functional mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which mainly includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic intestinal inflammatory disease whose etiology is not fully understood. As its global incidence increased, the clinical management of IBD still face multiple challenges, such as side effects, drug resistance, and high healthcare costs, prompting the medical community to actively search for safer and more effective alternative/complementary treatments. In this context, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), with its holistic view and the theory of syndrome differentiation-based treatment, demonstrates significant potential in regulating immune responses, exerting anti-inflammatory effects, and repairing the damaged intestinal barrier through its multi-component and multi-target characteristics. Here we reviewed the recent progresses in the application of TCM formulae (e.g., Wumei pills, Lizhong decoction, Sishen pills, etc.) and active monomers (e.g., magnolol, ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, etc.) in the treatment of IBD, as well as their possible mechanisms of action, in order to provide new therapeutic strategies for the clinical management of IBD and promote the integration between TCM and modern science.