On the use of herbal medicines in management of inflammatory bowel diseases: a systematic review of animal and human studies.
Because of potential adverse events and lack of effectiveness of standard therapies, the use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM), particularly of herbal therapies, for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing. Results from the use of herbal therapies for managing IBD are promising, and no serious adverse events have been reported from them. Herbal therapies show their benefit in managing IBD by different mechanisms such as immune system regulation, antioxidant activity, inhibition of leukotriene B4, inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB), and antiplatelet activity. In this paper, all reported herbal therapies established in animal IBD models or used for managing human IBD are systematically reviewed and their possible mechanisms of action discussed. Conducting clinical trials with high quality and validity (randomized, double blinded, controlled, on a large number of patients) to obtain more conclusive results about the use of herbal therapies in IBD is recommended.
Rahimi
Roja
R
Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, P.O. Box 14155-6451, Iran. rojarahimi@gmail.com
Mozaffari
Shilan
S
Abdollahi
Mohammad
M
D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D007975:Leukotriene B4 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D016328:NF-kappa B; D028321:Plant Preparations; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D007975:Leukotriene B4; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2