A Narrative Review - Immunometabolic Interactions of Host–Gut Microbiota and Botanical Active Ingredients in Gastrointestinal Cancers

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Asher

The gastrointestinal tract hosts the majority of gut microbiota, making microbial composition, metabolite profiles, and their immune-modulating effects central to gastrointestinal disease development. This narrative review evaluates how the gut microbiota shapes the host environment and immunometabolic system and summarizes evidence that botanical active ingredients can benefit gastrointestinal cancer outcomes. A PubMed literature search integrates topics including SCFAs, bile acids, polyamines, tryptophan, bacteriocins, and related immune and metabolic pathways.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages44

Reading Time1 h 51 min

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Review A Narrative Review: Immunometabolic Interactions of Host–Gut Microbiota and Botanical Active Ingredients in Gastrointestinal Cancers Shanlan Li 1, Wuwen Feng 2, Jiaqi Wu 1, Herong Cui 1,*, Yiting Wang 1, Tianzhen Liang 1, Jin An 1, Wanling Chen 1, Zhuoqian Guo 1 and Haimin Lei 1, * Citation: Li, S.; Feng, W.; Wu, J.; Cui, H.; Wang, Y.; Liang, T.; An, J.; Chen, W.; Guo, Z.; Lei, H. A Narrative Review: Immunometabolic Interactions of Host–Gut Microbiota and Botanical Active Ingredients in Gastrointestinal Cancers. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 9096. [https://doi.org/](https://doi.org/)[ ](https://doi.org/)[10.3390/ijms25169096](10.3390/ijms25169096) Academic Editor: Consolato M. Sergi Received: 26 July 2024 Revised: 16 August 2024 Accepted: 18 August 2024 Published: 22 August 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China; [15901293873@163.com](15901293873@163.com) (S.L.); [wjq020719@163.com](wjq020719@163.com) (J.W.); [15684638965@163.com](15684638965@163.com) (Y.W.); [polarisa1225@163.com](polarisa1225@163.com) (T.L.); [18810602247@163.com](18810602247@163.com) (J.A.); [cwl6948@163.com](cwl6948@163.com) (W.C.); [gzq18332368157@163.com](gzq18332368157@163.com) (Z.G.) 2 School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, China; [fengwuwen@cdutcm.edu.cn](fengwuwen@cdutcm.edu.cn) * Correspondence: [202302007@bucm.edu.cn](202302007@bucm.edu.cn) (H.C.); [602168@bucm.edu.cn](602168@bucm.edu.cn) (H.L.) Abstract: The gastrointestinal tract is where the majority of gut microbiota settles; therefore, the composition of the gut microbiota and the changes in metabolites, as well as their modulatory effects on the immune system, have a very important impact on the development of gastrointestinal diseases. The purpose of this article was to review the role of the gut microbiota in the host environment and immunometabolic system and to summarize the beneficial effects of botanical active ingredients on gastrointestinal cancer, so as to provide prospective insights for the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. A literature search was performed on the PubMed database with the keywords “gastrointestinal cancer”,“gut microbiota”,“immunometabolism”,“SCFAs”,“bile acids”,“polyamines”,“tryptophan”,“bacteriocins”,“immune cells”,“energy metabolism”,“polyphenols”,“polysaccharides”,“alkaloids”, and “triterpenes”. The changes in the composition of the gut microbiota influenced gastrointestinal disorders, whereas their metabolites, such as SCFAs, bacteriocins, and botanical metabolites, could impede gastrointestinal cancers and polyamine-, tryptophan-, and bile acid-induced carcinogenic mechanisms. GPRCs, HDACs, FXRs, and AHRs were important receptor signals for the gut microbial metabolites in influencing the development of gastrointestinal cancer. Botanical active ingredients exerted positive effects on gastrointestinal cancer by influencing the composition of gut microbes and modulating immune metabolism. Gastrointestinal cancer could be ameliorated by altering the gut microbial environment, administering botanical active ingredients for treatment, and stimulating or blocking the immune metabolism signaling molecules. Despite extensive and growing research on the microbiota, it appeared to represent more of an indicator of the gut health status associated with adequate fiber intake than an autonomous causative factor in the prevention of gastrointestinal diseases. This study detailed the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal cancers and the botanical active ingredients used f

FAQs

What role does gut microbiota play in gastrointestinal diseases according to the review?

Gut microbiota composition and metabolite changes influence immune system modulation, impacting gastrointestinal disease development.

Which categories of microbial metabolites and signaling elements are emphasized?

The review highlights metabolites such as SCFAs, bile acids, polyamines, and tryptophan, and notes receptor signal pathways including GPRCs, HDACs, FXRs, and AHRs.

How do botanical active ingredients affect gastrointestinal cancer in this review?

Botanical active ingredients are presented as exerting positive effects by altering gut microbial composition and modulating immune metabolism signaling.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Asher