This Research Topic is part of a series with: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/33487/herbal-medicine-for-the-treatment-of-chronic-metabolic-diseases/magazine

With the increased awareness of herbal medicines’ roles in health and nutrition, scientists are dedicated to researching the functional or bioactive metabolites in medicinal plants. Recently, numerous studies have shown bioactivities of natural products against chronic metabolic diseases, and some bioactive compounds in herbal medicines can prevent such diseases. There is growing concern around the world about public health problems associated with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, obesity and hyperlipidemia. The gut microbiota composition is now considered the central axis of the host’s health. Alteration of the normal gut microbiome, or gut dysbiosis, leads to physiological imbalance and dysregulated immune activation with the induction of different metabolic diseases. Diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic disease which is characterized by many complications. Such as diabetic nephropathy, diabetic encephalopathy, diabetic retinopathy, neurodegenerative diseases, etc. Chronic metabolic diseases are diseases caused by metabolic problems, which can be triggered by metabolic disorders and metabolic exuberance, etc.

The purpose of this Research Topic is to provide a platform for critically assessing the current scientific evidence available about the role of herbal medicine in chronic metabolic diseases, with a focus on polyphenols, flavones, and their derivatives. Testing components extracted from herbal medicine can be new or have been approved to prevent or treat chronic metabolic diseases. We will collect and summarize the existing knowledge on chronic metabolic diseases prevention effects of herbal medicine, including diabetes mellitus, diabetic complications, fatty liver, hyperlipidemia, obesity, etc. Natural product effects on the occurrence, progress and treatment of chronic metabolic diseases through modulation of the intestinal microenvironment and microbiome are also within the scope of this research topic. Manuscripts may cover in vitro models, animal models, and human studies. The underlying molecular mechanisms of how these herbal medicines regulate their health-promoting effects may be covered. Please note that many polyphenols are known for non-specific (‘promiscuous‘) effects if assessed in vitro and, therefore, such studies generally will not be of pharmacological relevance and cannot be accepted if this is the sole experimental approach.

This Research Topic seeks to attract studies on herbal medicine in the prevention and treatment of chronic metabolic diseases from all local medical traditions globally. We welcome original research and review articles, among other article types, focusing on the following subtopics, but not limited to:

• Novel molecular mechanisms of herbal medicine in the prevention and treatment of chronic metabolic diseases (CMDs)

• Novel therapeutic targets of herbal medicine in the prevention and treatment of CMDs.

• Novel molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets for treating CMDs.

• Molecular mechanism of natural products regulating intestinal microflora and restoring abnormal metabolism in CMDs.

• Methodology of the screening strategy for the discovery of novel mechanisms and therapeutic targets for treating CMDs.

Important Note:

If your manuscript deals with an extract from a plant/fungus or a polyherbal preparation, you need to check it using ‘https://ga-online.org/best-practice’ and include a PDF in your resubmissions with the relevant tables of the tool filled (1 and 2a) and consult Front. Pharmacol. 13:953205: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.953205.

All contributions to this Research Topic must follow the guideline listed in this section:
• The introduction should describe the background of the research object and provide bibliographical references that illustrate its recent application in general healthcare.
• Research-baseded solely on in silico approaches (e.g., network studies or docking experiments) does not fit with the scopes of this SI.
• Small molecules exhibiting in silico or in vitro effects but without specific pharmacological targets do not fit with the scopes of this SI.
• Chemical anti-oxidant assays like the DPPH or ABTS assay are of no pharmacological relevance, Therefore they can only be used a chemical-analytical assays without pharmacological claims.
• Please self-assess your MS using the ConPhyMP tool, and follow the standards established in the ConPhyMP statement Front. Pharmacol. 13:953205. All the manuscripts need to fully comply with the Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology (you can freely download the full version here). Importantly, please ascertain that the ethnopharmacological context is clearly described (pillar 3d) and that the material investigated is characterized in detail (pillars 2 a and b).

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