Daikenchuto, a Japanese herbal medicine, ameliorates experimental colitis in a murine model by inducing secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor and modulating the gut microbiota

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a refractory inflammatory disorder of the intestine, which is probably triggered by dysfunction of the intestinal epithelial barrier. Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) secreted by colon epithelial cells protects against intestinal inflammation by exerting anti-protease and anti-microbial activities. Daikenchuto (DKT) is one of the most commonly prescribed Japanese traditional herbal medicines for various digestive diseases. Although several animal studies have revealed that DKT exerts anti-inflammatory effects, its detailed molecular mechanism is unclear. This study aimed to clarify the anti-inflammatory mechanism of DKT using a murine colitis model, and to evaluate its potential as a therapeutic agent for IBD.