Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010110, China
Inner Mongolia Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hohhot 010020, China
Inner Mongolia Institute of Traditional Chinese and Mongolian Medicine, Hohhot 010010, China
Baotou Medical College, Baotou 014040, China
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Highlights
(1) Multifunctional Medicine-Food Homologous Substances: The mechanisms by which medicine-food homologous substances regulate intestinal function and alleviate functional constipation are revealed.
(2) Key Bioactive Components: Highlights the key bioactive components of medicine-food homologous substances that have a regulatory effect on functional constipation, such as polysaccharides, polyphenols, saponins, etc.
(3) Therapeutic Challenges and New Opportunities: Discusses the limitations of traditional methods for treating functional constipation and emphasizes the new opportunities for medicine-food homologous substances as potential alternative therapies.
(4) Future Research Prospects: Identifies future research directions in the field of functional constipation treatment with medicine-food homologous substances.
Graphical Abstract
Medicine food homology (MFH) substances refer to natural compounds with both drug properties and food sources, which have significant effects on the treatment and maintenance of functional constipation (FC) due to their natural safety and effectiveness. This graphical abstract introduces the bioactive components of some medicine food homology substances acting on constipation and presents their possible mechanism of action.
Abstract
Medicine food homology (MFH) items are plants or foods that possess therapeutic characteristics and can be utilized as ingredients in food. In different cultures, people often use a variety of herbs, foods and plants to maintain good health. These homologues are considered to have potential pharmacological activities and are particularly important for the maintenance of gastrointestinal health. Functional constipation is a prevalent gastrointestinal disorder. The patients show symptoms such as difficulty in defecation, constipation and dry stool, which seriously affect the quality of life. Traditional treatments include lifestyle changes, dietary fiber supplementation and medication. Nevertheless, prolonged utilization of the medication might result in adverse reactions, and there are specific constraints in the management of functional constipation. Consequently, individuals are increasingly focusing on the homologous substances found in natural medicine that are also present in food and medicine, with the aim of discovering novel therapeutic approaches. In this paper, the research on functional constipation with drug and food homologous substances will be summarized, focusing on their role in promoting intestinal peristalsis, regulating intestinal flora, increasing fecal water and so on, so as to provide more effective treatment options for patients with functional constipation.
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Yu Y-Y, Fu H-Q, Du H-Y, et al. Overview of research on the application of medicine food homologous bioactive ingredients to functional constipation. Food & Medicine Homology, 2025,https://doi.org/10.26599/FMH.2025.9420057
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