Botanical Drugs as an Emerging Strategy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Review

• Published in: Mediators of Inflammation Vol. 2015; no. 2015; pp. 515 - 528-047
• Main Authors: Algieri, Francesca, Rodriguez-Nogales, Alba, Rodriguez-Cabezas, M. Elena, Risco, Severiano, Ocete, M. Angeles, Galvez, Julio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Limiteds 01-01-2015; Hindawi Publishing Corporation; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Aloe; Andrographis; Artemisia absinthium; Biomedical research; Boswellia; Cannabis; Care and treatment; Clinical trials; Curcuma; Cytokines; Drugs; Health aspects; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammatory bowel disease; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - drug therapy; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - etiology; Irritable bowel syndrome; Materia medica, Vegetable; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Phytotherapy; Plant extracts; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Quality; Review
• ISSN: 0962-9351; 1466-1861
• DOI: 10.1155/2015/179616

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the two most common categories of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which are characterized by chronic inflammation of the intestine that comprises the patients’ life quality and requires sustained pharmacological and surgical treatments. Since their aetiology is not completely understood, nonfully efficient drugs have been developed and those that show effectiveness are not devoid of quite important adverse effects that impair their long-term use. Therefore, many patients try with some botanical drugs, which are safe and efficient after many years of use. However, it is necessary to properly evaluate these therapies to consider a new strategy for human IBD. In this report we have reviewed the main botanical drugs that have been assessed in clinical trials in human IBD and the mechanisms and the active compounds proposed for their beneficial effects.