Efficacy and Safety of Sophora flavescens (Kushen) Based Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis: Clinical Evidence and Potential Mechanisms

Background: Radix Sophorae flavescentis (Kushen), a Chinese herb, is widely used in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) with damp-heat accumulation syndrome (DHAS) according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory.

Objective: The aim of this study was to illuminate the clinical efficacy and potential mechanisms of Kushen-based TCM formulations in the treatment of UC with DHAS.

Materials and Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in the PubMed, EMBASE, Chinese Biomedical Literature database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, Chongqing VIP Information database, and Wanfang database for articles published between January 2000 and July 2020 on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that used Kushen-based TCM formulations in the treatment of UC with DHAS. A network pharmacology approach was conducted to detect the potential pathways of Kushen against UC with DHAS.

Results: Eight RCTs with a total of 983 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with the control subjects (5-aminosalicylic acid therapy), those who received Kushen-based TCM formulations for the treatment of UC showed a significantly higher clinical remission rate (RR = 1.20, 95% CI: [1.04, 1.38], p = 0.02) and lower incidence of adverse events (RR = 0.63, 95% CI [0.39, 1.01], p = 0.06). A component-target-pathway network was constructed, indicating five main components ( quercetin, luteolin, matrine, formononetin, and phaseolin), three major targets (Interleukin-6, Myc proto-oncogene protein, and G1/S-specific cyclin-D1) and one key potential therapeutic pathway (PI3K-Akt signaling) of Kushen against UC with DHAS.

Conclusion: Kushen-based TCM formulations provide good efficacy and possess great potential in the treatment of UC. Large-scale and high-quality clinical trials and experimental verification should be considered for further confirmation of the efficacy of Kushen-based formulations.