Effect of Bojanggunbi-tang and its primary constituent herbs on the gastrointestinal tract: A scoping review

Chaehyun Park ^1,2 Minjeong Kim ^1,2 Jae-Woo Park ^1,2,3 Jinsung Kim ^1,3,4 Youngmin Bu ⁵ Seok-Jae Ko ^1,2,3*

• ¹ Department of Clinical Korean Medicine, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
• ² Department of Korean Internal Medicine, Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Seoul, Republic of Korea
• ³ Department of Digestive diseases, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
• ⁴ Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Korean Internal Medicine, Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
• ⁵ Department of Herbal Pharmacology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Background: Bojanggunbi-tang (BGT), a herbal prescription used in traditional Korean medicine, has been used to treat various gastrointestinal (GI) diseases.Methods: Studies on BGT published until May 2024 were retrieved from the electronic databases of Medline, CENTRAL, Embase, AMED, CNKI, CiNii, Kmbase, KISS, NDSL, and OASIS using GI-related terms. All study types, regardless of the research method or language, were eligible for inclusion. Additional articles on Lonicera japonica, Atractylodes macrocephala, and Alisma canaliculatum, which are key components of BGT, were retrieved from the databases of Medline, CENTRAL, Embase, and Web of Science using GI-specific terms. The basic information, research models, administration methods, evaluation methods, and treatment outcomes of the selected studies were examined subsequently. Results: Fourteen studies, comprising nine animal studies, one cell-based study, and four human studies, were included in the final analysis. BGT was found to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects, promote restoration of the gastrointestinal mucosa, and regulate GI motility. Analysis of the key herbal components Lonicera japonica, Atractylodes macrocephala, and Alisma canaliculatum revealed that they inhibit inflammatory cytokines and oxidative substances, regulate serotonin and cholinergic pathways, and modulate intestinal microbiota.Conclusions: This scoping review confirmed the therapeutic potential and mechanisms of action of BGT and its main components, Lonicera japonica, Atractylodes macrocephala, and Alisma canaliculatum, thereby indicating its ability to enhance GI health. Further studies, including randomized clinical trials, must be conducted in the future to confirm these findings.