Multi-aspect therapeutic effects of a polyphenolic herbal formulation Cirsium japonicum, Scutellaria baicalensis, Paeonia japonica, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis on ulcerative colitis: inflammation modulation, gut microbiota remodeling, and metabolite profiling.

ABSTRACT: Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is a chronic illness that commonly demands the use of medication, sometimes for long term. In a DSS mouse model, we examined 5-aminosalicylic acid (5ASA) in comparison to a defined polyphenol-rich herbal mixture CSPG: Cirsium japonicum, Scutellaria baicalensis, Paeonia japonica, and Glycyrrhizae radix, using a two-phase approach. In phase 1 (days 1-14, without DSS stimulation), the herbal formula CSPG produced a more gut-friendly preventive profile compared to 5ASA in non-inflammatory condition:Unlike 5-ASA, which decreases microbial diversity as previously reported, CSPG preserved overall diversity and maintained protective taxa such as Ruminococcaceae uncultured ; and reduced inflammatory metabolites (uracil, glyceric acid, succinic acid) more effectively than 5AS

SUBMITTER: Youn CK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12910973 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature