DKT Is a Herbal Treatment That Can Prevent the Loss of Essential Gut Bacteria While Also Raising Immune Cell Numbers in the Colon

The effects of traditional herbal medicine on colitis, one of two disorders that compose inflammatory bowel disease, are reported by Zhengzheng Shi and colleagues at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) in Japan (IBD).

The study, which was published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, found that DKT, a herbal medicine containing ginger, pepper, ginseng, and maltose, reduced the severity of colitis in lab mice by preventing the loss of important gut bacteria and increased levels of immune cells in the colon that fight inflammation.

Japanese medicine against colitis

(Photo : Igor Miske/Unsplash)

Colitis is a persistent inflammation of the colon caused by a bacterial imbalance in the gut and an inappropriate immunological response.

The prevalence has more than doubled in the last 20 years, and it is now a global health concern, notably in Europe and North America.

Although there are several therapies available, they are only partially effective.

This has prompted some academics to investigate traditional herbal remedies, which originated in China and are now widely utilized in Japan and other Asian countries.

Daikenchuto (DKT) is a formula that contains specified amounts of ginger, pepper, ginseng, and maltose.

It is one of 148 herbal medicines known as Kampo that were developed in Japan and are frequently given by doctors to treat a range of disorders.

The previous study has suggested that DKT could be beneficial in the treatment of colitis, although data, particularly at the molecular level, has been inadequate.

Thus, Shi and a team of researchers at RIKEN IMS led by Naoko Satoh-Takayama investigated its effects on a mouse model of colitis.

Dextran sodium sulfate, which is harmful to the cells that line the colon, was used to induce colitis in mice.

When these mice were administered DKT, their body weights remained normal, and their clinical ratings for colitis were decreased.

Additional testing revealed that the cells lining the colon had suffered far less damage.

After demonstrating that DKT does help protect against colitis, the researchers went on to examine the mice's gut flora and the expression levels of various genes.

Gut microbiomes contain a diverse range of bacteria and fungus that promote digestion and the immune system.

Colitis is related to an imbalance in these gut microbiotas, and investigation revealed that the colitic mice in this study were deprived of a family of lactic acid bacteria.

One of their metabolites, propionate, a short-chain fatty acid, was also decreased.

DKT treatment recovered many of the lost bacteria, particularly those from the species Lactobacillus, and propionate levels returned to normal.

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Risk factors of Colitis

Colitis is a chronic digestive condition characterized by inflammation of the colon's inner lining, as per The George Washington University Hospital.

An inflammatory colon can be caused by an infection, a lack of blood flow in the colon, IBD, or invasion of the colon wall by collagen or lymphocytic white blood cells.

Bowel perforation (rupture): Intestinal perforation occurs when chronic inflammation weakens the intestinal wall, eventually resulting in a hole.

A considerable number of bacteria might leak into the abdomen and cause infection if a hole occurs.

Fulminant colitis is characterized by damage to the thickness of the intestinal wall.

Normal gut wall contractions are temporarily halted.

The colon eventually loses muscle tone and begins to grow. Abdominal X-rays can reveal trapped gas inside paralyzed parts of the intestine.

Abdominal distension can be severe as a result, and sufferers should seek medical assistance right away. The therapeutic goal is to keep the bowel from rupturing.

Daikenchuto

Traditional Japanese herbal treatment, or Kampo medicine, originates in ancient China and has been practiced in Japan since the 6th century, as per Frontiers.

Kampo medicine has evolved through time and has been successfully integrated into Japan's sophisticated medical system.

Japanese medical insurance authorized 148 herbal products as prescription medicines in the 1980s.

Daikenchuto (DKT) is a Kampo medicine that is widely administered for a variety of digestive ailments.

It is made up of the following ingredients: Zanthoxylum Fructus (Japanese pepper), Zingiberis Siccatum Rhizoma (processed ginger), Ginseng radix, and maltose powder.

DKT was initially used as a prokinetic drug to increase gastrointestinal motility in a variety of therapeutic contexts.

Several clinical investigations have found that DKT improved intestinal transit in patients after abdominal surgery and mechanical breathing.

Furthermore, clinical studies have shown that taking DKT orally for several months avoids the need for reoperation in patients with a subtype of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

According to later accounts, the herbal formula's prokinetic activities may be attributed to its anti-inflammatory properties.

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