Mechanism of action of heat-clearing and detoxifying herbs in the treatment of erosive gastritis

Table 1 Traditional Chinese medicine syndromes and representative prescriptions for erosive gastritis

Syndrome	Symptoms	Treatment method	Prescription
Damp-heat in the spleen and stomach	Distending epigastric pain, bitter taste in the mouth and halitosis, nausea and vomiting, sticky stools, yellow and greasy tongue coating, and slippery and rapid pulse	Clearing heat, drying dampness, regulating qi, and harmonizing the middle	Qingwei San
Mixed cold and heat	Distending epigastric pain, alternating chills and fever, bitter taste in the mouth, dry throat, unsatisfactory bowel movements, yellow and greasy tongue coating, and wiry and slippery pulse	Harmonizing cold and heat, regulating qi, and harmonizing the middle	Banxia Xiexin Tang
Liver and stomach with depressed heat	Distending epigastric pain radiating to hypochondria, which is exacerbated by emotional stress, irritability, and anger; bitter taste in the mouth; dry throat; red tongue with yellow coating; and wiry and rapid pulse	Soothing the liver, resolving depression, clearing heat, and harmonizing the stomach	Chaihu Shugan San
Blood stasis blocking the collaterals	Piercing epigastric pain that is localized and worse at night; dark purple tongue or ecchymosis; and choppy pulse	Activating blood, transforming stasis, regulating qi, and relieving pain	Jinlingzi San
Spleen and stomach deficiency	Dull epigastric pain that is relieved by warmth and pressure, fullness after eating, poor appetite and early satiety, fatigue, loose stools, pale tongue with white coating, and thin and weak pulse	Strengthening the spleen, invigorating qi, warming the middle, and harmonizing the stomach	Guipi Tang

Table 2 Efficacy and mechanisms of action of heat-clearing and toxin-resolving Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of erosive gastritis

Drug name	Main ingredients	Efficacy	Action mechanisms	Dosage and duration
Kuidekang Granules[43]	Coptis chinensis, Taraxacum mongolicum, Sophora flavescens, Notoginseng, Astragalus membranaceus, Zhejiang Fritillaria, Bletilla striata, etc.	Clearing heat, harmonizing the stomach, neutralizing acid, and relieving pain[44]	Anti-inflammatory, protect the gastric mucosa, inhibit gastric acid secretion, and regulate gastrointestinal function	10 g per dose, three times daily, for 4-8 weeks
Kangfuxin Liquid[45]	Ethanol extract of dried Periplaneta americana	Promoting blood circulation and nourishing yin to generate tissue	Promote gastric mucosa repair, inhibit inflammatory responses, improve gastric mucosa microcirculation, and regulate immune function	10 mL per dose, three times daily, for 4-6 weeks
Sanjiu Weitai Granules[46]	Evodia lepta, Murraya exotica, Zanthoxylum nitidum, Aucklandia lappa, Scutellaria baicalensis, Poria cocos, Rehmannia glutinosa, Paeonia lactiflora, etc.	Clearing heat, drying dampness, promoting qi, activating blood, soothing the liver, and relieving pain	Inhibit gastric acid secretion, reduce gastric mucosa inflammation, and protect the gastric mucosa barrier	1 bag (15 g) per dose, three times daily, for 4-6 weeks
Weikangling Capsules[47]	Paeonia lactiflora, Bletilla striata, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Poria cocos, Corydalis yanhusuo, Sepiellae seu Sepiae Endoconcha, Notoginseng radix, Belladonna extract, etc.	Soothing the liver, harmonizing the stomach, dispersing blood stasis, and relieving pain immediately	Inhibit gastric acid secretion, neutralize stomach acid, reduce the irritative effect of stomach acid on the erosive gastric mucosa, anti-inflammatory, and reduce swelling	4 capsules per dose, three times daily, for 4-8 weeks
Lanqin Oral Liquid[48]	Isatis indigotica, Scutellaria baicalensis, Gardenia jasminoides, Phellodendron amurense, Platycarya strobilacea	Clearing heat, detoxification, relieving sore throat, and reducing swelling	Regulate immunity, inhibit inflammatory factors, and reduce gastric mucosa inflammatory response	10 mL per dose, three times daily, for 4-6 weeks
Lianpu Shuangqing Tablets[49]	Berberine hydrochloride, Taraxacum mongolicum extract	Clearing heat, detoxification, drying dampness, and stopping dysentery	Inhibit various gastrointestinal pathogenic bacteria, reduce gastric mucosa inflammation, and promote gastric mucosa repair	4 tablets per dose, three times daily, for 4-6 weeks

Table 3 Efficacy and mechanisms of action of heat-clearing and detoxifying traditional Chinese medicines and their active ingredients in the treatment of erosive gastritis

Herbs	Main ingredients	Efficacy	Action mechanisms	Common dosage (g)
Coptis chinensis[12]	Berberine, coptisine, etc.	Clearing heat, drying dampness, purging fire, and detoxification	Inhibit inflammatory signaling pathways, reduce the release of inflammatory factors, regulate gastric acid secretion, and protect the gastric mucosa	2-5
Scutellaria baicalensis[15]	Baicalin, baicalein, wogonin, etc.	Clearing heat, drying dampness, cooling blood, and detoxification	Inhibit the production of inflammatory mediators, exert antioxidant effects, scavenge free radicals, and alleviate oxidative damage to the gastric mucosa	3-9
Lonicera japonica[18]	Chlorogenic acid, luteolin, neochlorogenic acid, etc.	Clearing heat, detoxification, and dispersing wind-heat	Antioxidant, reduce free radical damage; luteolin inhibits inflammation and regulates immunity	10-15
Taraxacum mongolicum[21]	Taraxasterol, taraxacum saponins, etc.	Clearing heat, detoxification, reducing swelling, and dispersing nodules	Anti-inflammatory, reduce gastric mucosal congestion and edema, and promote digestion and absorption	10-15
Sophora flavescens[26]	Matrine, oxymatrine, etc.	Clearing heat, drying dampness, killing parasites, and promoting diuresis	Inhibit the infiltration of inflammatory cells and the release of inflammatory mediators, regulate immunity, and enhance resistance	3-9
Hedyotis diffusa[50]	Flavonoids, terpenoids, anthraquinones, etc.	Clearing heat, detoxification, promoting diuresis, and relieving stranguria	Antioxidant, protect gastric mucosal cells; regulate immunity; inhibit inflammatory responses; and promote gastric mucosal repair[51]	15-30
Isatis indigotica[52]	Indirubin, indigo, polysaccharides, etc.[10]	Clearing heat, detoxification, cooling blood, and relieving sore throat	Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, regulate immunity, enhance antiviral and repair capabilities[53]	10-15
Patrinia scabiosaefolia[54]	Patrinoside, volatile oils, etc.	Clearing heat, detoxification, removing blood stasis, and discharging pus.	Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, promote gastric mucosal repair, and regulate gastrointestinal function[55]	10-15