Application of Herbaceous Medications for Inflammatory Bowel Disease as a Complementary and Alternative Therapy

• Published in: Inflammatory bowel diseases Vol. 25; no. 12; pp. 1886 - 1895
• Main Authors: Lin, Zili, Wu, Huiyi, Fu, Yiming, Dai, Shixue
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Oxford University Press 01.12.2019
• Subjects: Corticosteroids; Immunosuppressive agents; Inflammation; Medicine, Botanic; Medicine, Herbal; Mesalamine; Sulfadiazine; Ulcerative colitis; Canada; China; herbal medications; complementary and alternative medicine; inflammatory bowel disease
• ISSN: 1078-0998; 1536-4844
• DOI: 10.1093/ibd/izz190

This article is the first review assessing herbaceous plants as a complementary and alternative therapy in inflammatory bowel disease to provide clinicians with more new options. Abstract Background Conventional medicine for the treatment of IBD is prevailingly composed of sulfadiazine, 5-aminosalicylic acid, glucocorticoid, and immunosuppressants, which have the merits of alleviating intestine inflammation, but long-term use of these drugs may cause toxic side effects; additionally, these drugs may be expensive. In the pursuit of novel and more economic therapies, patients may increasingly look at complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Recently, CAM is increasingly favored by the general public on account of its safety, low toxicity, and effectiveness. As a branch of CAM, herbal plants and their extracts have a significant effect on the treatment of IBD. Treatment of IBD with herbaceous plants has been reported, but specific mechanisms and effects have not yet been elaborated. Methods English abstracts were identified in PubMed and Science Direct by multiple search terms, such as “herbal,” “CAM,” “IBD,” “ulcerative colitis,” “abdominal pain,” and so on. Full-length articles were selected for review. Results Herbaceous plants and their extracts have been shown to be effective against IBD in many studies, and herbaceous plants may be effective in treating symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, mucus, and bloody stools. Conclusions Herbal medications could be used as a complementary and alternative treatment for IBD, but they require more rigorous scientific testing.