Natural Product Treatment of Gastrointestinal Diseases

This research topic focuses on the potential of natural products to alleviate symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC). Studies have shown that WJP, CW formula, emodin, quercetin, and pterostilbene may all be effective in treating IBD and CRC, possibly by downregulating the expression of certain proteins and reducing oxidative stress-induced apoptosis.

• WJP has been shown to alleviate visceral hypersensitivity in IBS-D model rats, possibly mediated by downregulating the expression of TNF-α, p-MEK1/2, p-ERK1, and p-ERK2 in the colon and hippocampus.
• The CW formula has been demonstrated to reduce inflammation, promote mucosal healing, and restore the microbiome profile in mice with ulcerative colitis.
• In vitro experiments have demonstrated that the CW formula increases the alternative activation of macrophages and inhibits the TNFα-induced ROS level and subsequent death in intestinal organoids.
• Celastrol has been found to suppress tumor growth of ESCC both in vivo and in vitro by inducing both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis pathways.
• Emodin has been found to reduce inflammation and pyroptosis in alveolar macrophages, likely through the inhibition of NLRP3/Caspase1/GSDMD-mediated pathways.
• Quercetin has been found to inhibit the progression of colorectal cancer by suppressing the autophagy of M2-TAMs and downregulating hsa_circ_0006990.
• Pterostilbene has been found to reduce oxidative stress-induced apoptosis of Cajal interstitial cells (ICCs) through the PI3K/AKT/Nrf pathway.