guizhi jia dahuang tang

Guizhi Dahuang decoction (Guizhi Jia Dahuang Tang) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbal formula first described in the Treatise on Febrile Diseases (Shanghan Lun) by Zhang Zhongjing during the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is a modification of the classic Guizhi decoction, specifically formulated by adding rhubarb (Dahuang) and increasing the dosage of peony (Shao Yao). The formula typically consists of six herbal ingredients: Guizhi (Cinnamomi Ramulus), Dahuang (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma), Shao Yao (Paeoniae Radix Alba), Sheng Jiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens), Zhi Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Praeparata cum Melle), and Da Zao (Jujubae Fructus). Traditionally used to treat abdominal fullness and pain associated with the transition of disease from the 'Taiyang' to the 'Taiyin' stage, modern clinical research has explored its efficacy in inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis. Its therapeutic effects are attributed to multi-target mechanisms, including the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines, regulation of intestinal microbiota, and restoration of the intestinal mucosal barrier.