Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract and mucosal layer and lead to intestinal damage and intestinal dysfunction. IBD is an inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract that significantly impacts public health development. Monoclonal antibodies and other synthetic medications are currently used to treat IBD, but they are suspected of producing serious side effects and causing a number of other problems with long-term use. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that organic macromolecules from plants and animals have an alleviating effect on IBD-related problems, and many of them are also capable of altering enzymatic function, reducing oxidative stress, and inhibiting the production of cytokines and release of proinflammatory transcriptional factors. Thus, in this paper, the natural products with potential anti-IBD activities and their mechanism of action were reviewed, with a focus on the protective effects of natural products on intestinal barrier integrity and the regulation of tight junction protein expression and remodeling. In conclusion, the insights provided in the present review will be useful for further exploration and development of natural products for the treatment of IBD.
Keywords: inflammatory bowel disease; intestinal barrier integrity; natural products; tight junction.