title: Use of natural products in gastrointestinal therapies.
abstract: Altered motility, discomfort and pain are common debilitating symptoms of patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders. However, these conditions represent a significant and unmet need for mainstream medical treatment, particularly after high profile therapeutic drug withdrawals due to safety concerns. As such an increasing number of sufferers are turning to alternative medicines in an effort to seek relief from their symptoms. Alternative medicines have traditionally been looked at by mainstream medicine with cynicism. However, new evidence demonstrates that the active components in natural products have actions on specific ion channels and receptors, many of which are located in sensory systems distributed throughout the body. These findings may not only explain the symptomatic benefit of these alternative medicines but also provide novel therapeutic targets for mainstream drug development. As such natural products represent a wealth of untapped potential which is waiting to be unlocked.
authors: Nerve-Gut Research Laboratory, Discipline of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Adelaide, and Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Hanson Institute, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia. stuart.brierley@adelaide.edu.au
authors: Stuart M
authors: SM
authors: Brierley
authors: Olaf
authors: O
authors: Kelber
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D000818:Animals; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D028321:Plant Preparations; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels