Chronic gastritis (CG) is a persistent inflammation of the gastric mucosa that can cause uncomfortable symptoms in patients. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used to treat CG due to its precise efficacy, minimal side effects, and holistic approach. Clinical studies have confirmed the effectiveness of TCM in treating CG, although the mechanisms underlying this treatment have not yet been fully elucidated. In this review, we summarized the clinical research and mechanisms of TCM used to treat CG. Studies have shown that TCM mechanisms for CG treatment include H. pylori eradication, anti-inflammatory effects, immune modulation, regulation of gastric mucosal cell proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy levels.

This study was aimed at elucidating the potential mechanisms of quercetin in the treatment of gastric cancer (GC). A network pharmacology approach was used to analyze the targets and pathways of quercetin in treating GC. The predicted targets of quercetin against GC were obtained through database mining, and the correlation of these targets with GC was analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. Next, the protein‐protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, and overall survival (OS) analysis of hub targets was performed using the Kaplan–Meier Plotter online tool. Finally, the mechanism was further analyzed via molecular docking of quercetin with the hub targets. Thirty‐six quercetin‐related genes were identified, 15 of which overlapped with GC‐related targets. These targets were further mapped to 319 GO biological process terms and 10 remarkable pathways. In the PPI network analysis, six hub targets were identified, including AKT1, EGFR, SRC, IGF1R, PTK2, and KDR. The high expression of these targets was related to poor OS in GC patients. Molecular docking analysis confirmed that quercetin can bind to these hub targets. In conclusion, this study provided a novel approach to reveal the therapeutic mechanisms of quercetin on GC, which will ease the future clinical application of quercetin in the treatment of GC.

Objective. To explore the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine in treating diarrhea‐predominant irritable bowel syndrome (D‐IBS). Methods. Four English and four Chinese databases were searched through November, 2015. Randomized, double‐blind and placebo‐controlled trials were selected. Data extraction and quality evaluation were performed by two authors independently. RevMan 5.2.0 software was applied to analyze the data of included trials. Results. A total of 14 trials involving 1551 patients were included. Meta‐analysis demonstrated superior global symptom improvement (RR = 1.62; 95% CI 1.31, 2.00; P < 0.00001; number needed to treat = 3.6), abdominal pain improvement (RR = 1.95; 95% CI 1.61, 2.35; P < 0.00001), diarrhea improvement (RR = 1.87; 95% CI 1.60, 2.20; P < 0.00001), pain threshold assessment (MD = 54.53; 95% CI 38.76, 70.30; P < 0.00001), and lower IBS Symptom Severity Score (SMD = −1.01; 95% CI −1.72, −0.30; P = 0.005), when compared with placebo, while for defecation threshold assessment, quality of life, and adverse events, no differences were found between treatment groups and controlled groups. Conclusion. This meta‐analysis shows that Chinese herbal medicine is an effective and safe treatment for D‐IBS. However, due to the small sample size and high heterogeneity, further studies are required.