:
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, elusive disorder resulting in relapsing inflammation of
intestine with incompletely elucidated etiology, whose two representative forms are ulcerative colitis (UC) and
Crohn’s disease (CD). Accumulating researches have revealed that the individual genetic susceptibility, environmental
risk elements, intestinal microbial flora, as well as innate and adaptive immune system are implicated in
the pathogenesis and development of IBD. Despite remarkable progression of IBD therapy has been achieved by
chemical drugs and biological therapies such as aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, antibiotics, anti-tumor necrosis
factor (TNF)-α, anti-integrin agents, etc., healing outcome still cannot be obtained, along with inevitable side
effects. Consequently, a variety of researches have focused on exploring new therapies, and found that natural
products (NPs) isolated from herbs or plants may serve as promising therapeutic agents for IBD through antiinflammatory,
anti-oxidant, anti-fibrotic and anti-apoptotic effects, which implicates the modulation on nucleotide-
binding domain (NOD) like receptor protein (NLRP) 3 inflammasome, gut microbiota, intestinal microvascular
endothelial cells, intestinal epithelia, immune system, etc. In the present review, we will summarize the research
development of IBD pathogenesis and current mainstream therapy, as well as the therapeutic potential and
intrinsic mechanisms of NPs in IBD.
