About this Book

The gut is one of the most versatile organs for humans and animals. In recent years, more and more research has revealed that the gut has close relationships with many other organs, such as the liver, kidneys, lungs, brain, and breasts. Gut microbes have close relationships with their hosts and play an important role in the physiological activities of humans and animals. More and more research has revealed that gut microbes can adjust the functions of the hosts' major organs, such as the liver, kidneys, brain, lungs, and breasts. In other words, the Gut-X Axis has become a hot research topic in recent years.

Herbal medicines have been used globally in the treatment of human and animal diseases for thousands of years. Traditional Chinese herbal medicines, such as Glycyrrhiza spp. and Astragalus membranaceus Bunge, are examples of botanical drugs that have significant effects on the treatment of immune depression by adjusting the gut microbe. Silybum marianum, originally distributed in the Mediterranean and other parts of Southern Europe and Northern Africa, is now widely used to treat various liver diseases and modify the gut microbe. The active natural products in traditional Chinese medicine have also been studied on the Gut-X Axis, such as Atractylodes macrocephala polysaccharide (AMP). Therefore, research on the pharmacology, toxicology, microbiology, and action mechanism of traditional medicines and active natural products via the Gut-X Axis is essential to better understand their efficacy and to expand the development of drugs for the treatment of clinical diseases.