Chaihu-Shugan-San, a traditional Chinese medicine formula, is more effective than a placebo in treating Functional Dyspepsia, relieving anxiety and depression, and regulating gut microbiota.
The trial involved 94 participants, diagnosed with Functional Dyspepsia under the Rome IV criteria, randomized into two equal groups for a four-week treatment with either Chaihu-Shugan-San (CSS) or a placebo at Shuguang Hospital. Evaluations were made based on the dyspepsia symptom scores, gastric emptying rate, anxiety and depression scales, and the quality of life scale. Additionally, the gut microbiota of a select 30 patients in the CSS group were analyzed before and after treatment using 16S rRNA sequencing.
After the treatment, the CSS group showed a significant improvement in symptom scores, gastric emptying rate, and anxiety and depression levels compared to the placebo group. Additionally, the CSS treatment resulted in modulations of the bacterial community structure, with both upregulation and downregulation of certain bacteria, indicating that CSS has an influence on the gut microbiota in FD patients.
