The therapeutic mechanism of bornyl acetate in alleviating ulcerative colitis by regulating the intestinal flora

was negatively correlated with p65 transcriptional activity in the NF-κB pathway but positively correlated with anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and the mRNA levels of barrier proteins (ZO-1 and occludin). In conclusion, these findings indicated that BA alleviates UC through a synergistic mechanism encompassing NF-κB pathway inhibition, microbiota homeostasis restoration and intestinal barrier repair. This discovery offers a theoretical basis for novel functional foods leveraging terpenoids to restore gut microecological balance.