Abstract Ulcerative colitis, a relapsing and remitting disease, is experiencing increasing incidence and prevalence worldwide. Sweet potatoes, a rich source of bioactive components such as polysaccharides, polyphenols, and anthocyanins, have been found to balance the gut microbiota, enhance the intestinal barrier, and promote short-chain fatty acid metabolism, which benefits colitis treatment. However, there is no comprehensive review summarizing the treatment of colitis with sweet potatoes and their active components. Therefore, this review summarizes the colitis treatment effects and potential regulatory mechanisms of various sweet potatoes and their active components. We found that sweet potatoes, particularly purple-fleshed and yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes, exhibit anti-colitis effects. Their active components—such as polysaccharides, polyphenols, and triterpenoid glycoside I—can exert more pronounced therapeutic effects by regulating intestinal microbiota and signaling pathways including NF-κB, Nrf2, and NLRP3. This study provides theoretical insights for promoting the application of sweet potatoes in the functional food field or as an adjunct therapy for colitis.
Chen et al. (Mon,) studied this question.