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Ginger, pepper, and ginseng are known for promoting gut health. A Japanese herbal medicine made from these powerful herbs is hailed as an effective remedy for inflammatory bowel disease. In a mice study, researchers have found that the medicine, called Daikenchuto (DKT), can reduce the severity of colitis, a chronic inflammation of the large intestine (colon).
Colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) thought to be caused by imbalance in gut bacteria and an abnormal immune response. While numerous treatments are available for this condition, most of them are only partially effective.
The study conducted by researchers at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) in Japan showed that DKT helps prevent the loss of important gut bacteria, and at the same time increases levels of immune cells in the colon that fight inflammation. The findings were published in Frontiers in Immunology.
As described by the study authors, Daikenchuto (DKT) is one of 148 herbal medicines called Kampo, which are used to treat a variety of illnesses in Japan. This herbal formula, developed in Japan, contains specific amounts of ginger, pepper, ginseng, and maltose.
The research team from RIKEN IMS conducted a lab study to examine the effects of DKT on colitic mice. They found that the mice that were given DKT showed no changes in their body weights, and they had lower clinical scores for colitis, also much less damage to the cells lining the colon, compared to the mice in the untreated colitic mice.
Further analysis showed that the colitic mice had lower levels of a family of lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites, a short-chain fatty acid called propionate. When these mice were treated with DKT, much of these missing bacteria (especially Lactobacillus) were restored and levels of propionate also became normal.
Additionally, they found that levels of innate intestinal immune cells called ILC3 were lower in the untreated colitic mice than in the DKT-treated colonic mice.
This shows that ILC3s play crucial role in protecting against colitis and that DKT works by interacting with them, the researchers noted.
The qPCR analysis also revealed that ILC3s had receptors for propionate, called GPR43, on their surface.
Naoko Satoh-Takayama, who led the research team at RIKEN IMS, said that Daikenchuto is usually prescribed to prevent and treat gastrointestinal diseases. The herbal medicine is also often recommended after colorectal cancer surgery to reduce intestinal obstruction.
In this study, the experts have shown that this herbal medicine can also fight intestinal diseases like colitis by "rebalancing Lactobacillus levels in the gut microbiome" and by "promoting the activity of type 3 innate lymphoid cells" which reduces inflammatory immune responses.
In Ayurveda, ginger is used for the treatment of various health conditions such as cough, cold, body ache, sore throat, digestive problems, menstrual pain, skin infections, hair loss as well as for weight management.
