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Review
. 2025 May 6:16:1572007.
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1572007. eCollection 2025.

Gut microbiota: a new target for the prevention and treatment of insomnia using Chinese herbal medicines and their active components

Changmei Wu #  1 , Jinjin Dou #  2 , Xiaoxue Song  3 , Fang Yang  4 , Xuan Liu  5 , Weipeng Song  5 , Xiwu Zhang  3
Affiliations
Review

Gut microbiota: a new target for the prevention and treatment of insomnia using Chinese herbal medicines and their active components

Changmei Wu et al. Front Pharmacol. .

Abstract

The emergence of the microbiota-gut-brain axis has opened new avenues for improving sleep quality. Recent studies have revealed a close relationship between insomnia and the gut microbiome. Chinese herbal medicines and their active components can alter the relative abundance of sleep-related gut microbiota by reversing dysbiosis in the gut microbiome. Improving sleep quality through the regulation of the gut microbiota using herbal medicine and its active components has become a highly promising therapeutic strategy. This article elucidates how the gut microbiota modulates sleep quality via the intricate communication network of the gut-brain axis. It also reviews the latest research on utilizing herbal medicine and its active components to regulate the gut microbiota for enhancing sleep quality. Additionally, it provides insights into the potential of herbal medicine and its active components in improving sleep quality through the modulation of the gut microbiota.

Keywords: Chinese herbal medicines and their active components; Gut Microbiota; improving sleep quality; insomnia; microbiota-gutbrain axis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Bidirectional regulatory mechanisms between the gut microbiota and the brain. (A): Microbial endocrine and metabolite pathways, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis; (B): Microbiota–vagus nerve pathway; (C): Microbiota–immune inflammatory pathway; AANAT, arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (a rate-limiting enzyme produced by MT); SCFAs, short-chain fatty acids; 5-HT, 5-hydroxytryptamine; MT, melatonin; DA, dopamine; HPA, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis; CRH, adrenocorticotropic hormone-releasing hormone; ACTH, adrenocorticotropic hormone; EC, enterochromaffin cells; EEC, intestinal endocrine cell; Trp, tryptophan; 5-HTR, 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor; 5-HTP, 5-hydroxytryptophan; TPH2, tryptophan hydroxylase 2; TPH5, tryptophan hydroxylase 5; SERT, 5-hydroxytryptamine transporter; VMAT2, vesicular monoamine transporter 2; MAO, monoamine oxidase; BBB, blood-brain barrier; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor α; NLRP3, NOD-like receptor thermoprotein domain protein 3; IL-6, interleukin-6; IL-1β, interleukin-1β; Th17, helper T cell 17. Materials provided by Fig Draw (www.fgdraw.com).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Through altering the gut microbiome, Chinese herbal remedies and their active ingredients can enhance sleep. SZR, ziziphi spinosae semen; G. lucidum, Ganoderma lucidum; P. cocos, Poria cocos; GAS, Gastrodin; APS, Astragalus polysaccharide. Materials provided by FigDraw (www.fgdraw.com).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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