Zeng SH, Jiang XY, Lin DR, Zhang WJ, Wu YQ, Xu L, Guo SJ. Mechanisms and therapeutic potential of traditional Chinese medicine for inflammatory bowel disease. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(10): 115821 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i10.115821]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Shao-Ju Guo, Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, No. 1 Fuhua Road, Shenzhen 518000, Guangdong Province, China. gsjgsjgsj2024@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Mar 14, 2026 (publication date) through Mar 2, 2026
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Journal Information of This Article
Publication Name
World Journal of Gastroenterology
ISSN
1007-9327
Publisher of This Article
Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Zeng SH, Jiang XY, Lin DR, Zhang WJ, Wu YQ, Xu L, Guo SJ. Mechanisms and therapeutic potential of traditional Chinese medicine for inflammatory bowel disease. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(10): 115821 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i10.115821]
Si-Hui Zeng, Xiao-Yan Jiang, Wei-Jian Zhang, Yu-Qi Wu, Lin Xu, Shao-Ju Guo, Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen 518000, Guangdong Province, China
De-Rong Lin, Department of Acupuncture and Rehabilitation, Dongguan Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Dongguan 523000, Guangdong Province, China
Author contributions: Zeng SH and Guo SJ designed the research study; Zeng SH, Jiang XY, and Lin DR performed the literature search, screening, and data extraction; Zhang WJ and Wu YQ contributed to critical analysis and interpretation; Zeng SH, Jiang XY, and Lin DR analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript; Xu L acquired the funding; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82204994.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Shao-Ju Guo, Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, No. 1 Fuhua Road, Shenzhen 518000, Guangdong Province, China. gsjgsjgsj2024@163.com
Received: October 27, 2025 Revised: December 9, 2025 Accepted: January 16, 2026 Published online: March 14, 2026 Processing time: 127 Days and 5.3 Hours
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disorder of the intestine with a rising global incidence that significantly impairs patients’ quality of life. Although modern medical therapies can provide short-term symptom relief, they are often limited by dependence on medication and considerable adverse effects. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has demonstrated longstanding clinical efficacy and preclinical advantages in IBD management, yet systematic summaries and in-depth mechanistic insights remain insufficient. This minireview explores recent advances in the mechanistic research of TCM for IBD to inform alternative therapeutic strategies. A systematic literature search was conducted using databases including PubMed, Science Citation Index Expanded, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure to synthesize current evidence, focusing on literature published between 2023 and 2025. Findings reveal that TCM exerts therapeutic effects through holistic, multicomponent, multi-target, and multi-pathway regulation. Key mechanisms involve modulation of inflammatory signaling pathways, immune homeostasis, gut microbiota composition, intestinal barrier integrity, autophagy, metabolic functions, gene expression, and synergistic multi-target therapy. Despite existing research limitations, the evolution from empirical herbal use toward modern scientific understanding promises to accelerate the modernization and global integration of TCM. This minireview provides foundational insights for future research and clinical practice, with the potential to benefit IBD patients worldwide.
Core Tip: Inflammatory bowel disease management faces limitations with conventional therapies. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers a holistic, multi-target therapeutic strategy. This minireview elucidates how TCM treats inflammatory bowel disease by synergistically modulating immunity, repairing the intestinal barrier, restoring gut microbiota, and regulating inflammatory pathways and autophagy, thereby accelerating the modernization and integration of TCM into global healthcare.
