Evidence mapPaperPMID 41530857Full record

ReviewChinese medicine2026

Gut microbiota-mediated regulation of lipid metabolism by single herbal medicines: a review focused on cold/hot properties.

Jiale Fang, Siwen Wang, Aijun Quan, Xinyu Zhu, Baitao Li, Deyou Jiang

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Chinese medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Jiale FangThe Third Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, No. 2 Xiangjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, China.
Siwen WangThe Second Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, No. 411, Gogol Street, Nangang District, Harbin, China.
Aijun QuanThe Third Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, No. 2 Xiangjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, China.
Xinyu ZhuThe Third Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, No. 2 Xiangjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, China.
Baitao LiThe Third Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, No. 2 Xiangjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, China.
Deyou JiangHeilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, No. 26, Heping Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, China. jiangdeyou_tcm@126.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Single herbal medicines (SHMs) possess distinct advantages in regulating lipid metabolism, particularly through modulating the composition and function of the gut microbiota. Compared with herbal formulas, SHMs are characterized by traceable active components, clear pharmacological targets, and greater reproducibility. However, their intrinsic cold/hot properties must not be overlooked, as inappropriate or prolonged use may disturb the body's holistic balance and pose health risks. Therefore, it is essential to systematically classify lipid-lowering SHMs according to their cold/hot properties and establish a "medicinal properties-microbiota" framework to guide personalized treatment strategies for hyperlipidemia. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and CNKI for studies published up to August 2025. Studies reporting lipid-lowering effects of SHMs through gut microbiota regulation were screened and analyzed. Fifty-seven SHMs were included, comprising 24 cold/cool-property, 20 warm/heat-property, and 13 neutral-property medicines. These SHMs improved lipid metabolism mainly by modulating the gut microbial composition and metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), lipopolysaccharides (LPS), bile acids (BAs), and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). Shared microbiota changes included a reduced Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and increased abundance of Akkermansia, Lactobacillus, Ruminococcaceae, and Clostridium. A new pattern has been identified: cold/cool-property SHMs mainly targeted environmentally adaptive microbial taxa, warm/heat-property SHMs enriched Akkermansia muciniphila and promoted SCFA production, whereas neutral-property SHMs exerted broad-spectrum regulation to maintain microbial homeostasis. In summary, SHMs regulate lipid metabolism through multiple microbiota-related pathways, and the effects are closely associated with their cold/hot properties. The classification of SHMs according to the four natures provides a theoretical basis for personalized treatment and may guide the safe and effective use of SHMs for the treatment of dyslipidemia.

Indexed as

Cold/hot propertiesGut microbiotaHerbal medicineLipid metabolismPersonalized treatment

Identifiers

PMID41530857
PMCPMC12797667

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.