Treatment of Digestive System Tumors with Hedyotis Diffusa Willd

Hedyotis diffusa Willd (HDW) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with the functions of clearing heat, detoxifying, anti-inflammation and anti-cancer. In recent years, its potential in the treatment of digestive system tumors has attracted extensive attention. Studies have shown that its active components can exert anti-cancer effects through multiple pathways such as antioxidation, anti-inflammation, apoptosis induction, invasion and metastasis inhibition, and immune regulation. Moreover, when combined with chemotherapy and immunotherapy, it shows synergistic effects and advantages in reducing toxicity. However, systematic research on the mechanism of action of its active components and clinical application is still insufficient. This article reviews the main active components, molecular mechanisms of action, and combined strategies with modern treatment methods of HDW in digestive system tumors such as gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, and liver cancer. It also summarizes the preliminary exploration results of formulation optimization and targeted delivery, demonstrating its unique advantages in multi-target intervention of the tumor microenvironment, reversal of drug resistance, and enhancement of immune response. In the future, further clarification of the component-pharmacodynamic relationship, optimization of drug delivery systems, and large-scale clinical trials will help promote its clinical transformation in comprehensive tumor treatment and provide references for the development of new anti-cancer preparations of TCM. Meanwhile, the analysis of drug resistance mechanisms and long-term efficacy evaluation remain important directions for subsequent research.