The Effects of Herbal Medicines on the Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects a large population worldwide, is a gastrointestinal disorder that includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The genetic factors, immunological, and microbial factors play critical roles in the pathogenesis of IBD. However, there is still no pharmacological therapy providing the definitive treatment of the disease. Gastrointestinal symptoms of IBD significantly reduce the patient's quality of life and IBD patients often tend to use herbal medicines as an alternative and complementary therapy for improving the symptoms. Among herbal medicines used for IBS, Andrographis paniculata, Boswellia serrata, and Aloe vera are prominent plant species, and catechins and curcumin are the commonly investigated phytochemicals. Here, we summarized the main factors in the pathogenesis of IBD, the current treatment strategies, and commonly used natural compounds and herbs with evidence-based data. The findings pointed out that further clinical trials having a higher sample size are required prior to the recommended use of these herbal medicines in therapy.