Research Progress on Chinese Herbal Medicines for Gastrointestinal Diseases: A Review

Abstract

Gastrointestinal diseases are prevalent clinical conditions that significantly impair patients’ quality of life, manifesting symptoms such as epigastric and abdominal distension and pain, food retention, and loss of appetite. Traditional Chinese herbal medicines have a long history and demonstrated efficacy in treating these disorders, characterized by their multi-target and multi-pathway therapeutic actions, which have garnered increasing attention from researchers worldwide. This review systematically summarizes the pharmacodynamic material basis, pharmacological mechanisms, and clinical research progress of several common Chinese herbs, including Yunmuxiang (Aucklandia lappa), Chenpi (Citrus reticulata peel), Shan Zha (Crataegus pinnatifida), Baizhu (Atractylodes macrocephala), and Houpu (Magnolia officinalis), in managing epigastric and abdominal distension and pain, food retention, and loss of appetite. Special emphasis is placed on the gastrointestinal motility regulation and anti-inflammatory activities of costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone, the main active sesquiterpene lactones in Yunmuxiang. Additionally, the review integrates the compatibility principles of related compound formulations with modern pharmacological evidence to provide a comprehensive understanding. The aim is to offer theoretical support and clinical references for the application of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases.