Liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome is a common syndrome type of ulcerative colitis (UC). Based on the theory of 'collaborative treatment of liver and spleen', TCM shows its effect and less adverse reactions in the treatment of UC with liver depression and spleen deficiency. The internal treatment of TCM based on syndrome differentiation and treatment by stages, as well as the external treatment of TCM based on TCM enema therapy, acupuncture therapy and acupoint application therapy, can relieve symptoms, improve relevant clinical indicators and improve the quality of life of patients. The mechanism studies show that the TCM with the effect of soothing the liver and activating the spleen plays a therapeutic role by regulating signal pathway conduction, regulating intestinal flora, and improving the level of inflammatory factors.

The persistent，difficult-to-treat，and recurrent abdominal pain，diarrhea，and mucinous bloody stools that characterize ulcerative colitis （UC） are indicative of an inflammatory bowel disorder. The cause of the sickness remains uncertain，and the outcome of modern medical treatment is not encouraging. The incidence of UC has been steadily increasing over time，making it essential to discover novel treatments in clinical practice. For centuries，traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has been a successful method for preventing and curing this malady. In the original text of Shanghanlun， ZHANG Zhongjing repeatedly discussed symptoms similar to UC，such as diarrhea，chronic dysentery，intestinal wind，and visceral toxins. The effective formulas proposed in Shanghanlun have laid the groundwork for the later use of TCM for treatment of UC. Research in recent times has revealed the distinct benefits of TCM in both relieving the symptoms and improving the quality of life of UC patients. Banxia Xiexintang，a compound of this type，has been found to be effective in network pharmacology，molecular docking，clinical observation，and animal experiments，and its therapeutic effects have been considerable in the treatment of UC. Extensive experiments have revealed a strong correlation between the effectiveness of Banxia Xiexintang in treating UC and factors such as inflammatory cytokines，intestinal microbiota，immune responses，related signaling pathways， and pyroptosis. This article presents a comprehensive examination of Banxia Xiexintang for treatment of UC，encompassing its theoretical basis，drug composition，and mechanism of action. This paper is expected to provide more theoretical support for clinical application of Banxia Xiexintang.