Puerarin ameliorates colitis by direct suppression of macrophage M1 polarization in DSS mice

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a type of inflammatory bowel disease primarily affecting the colon and rectum. The clinical symptoms of UC include persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, and rectal bleeding, with chronic inflammation often limited to the mucosal layer of the colon. Macrophages play a significant role in the pathogenesis of UC in response to the presence of gut microbiota. Puerarin is an active compound derived from the root of pueraria lobata, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, and exhibits potent anti-inflammatory properties in various diseases and disease models including UC-like colitis in mice. However, how the molecule achieves its therapeutic effect in colitis by re-polarizing macrophages remains poorly understood.