Proposed mechanistic insights underlying the pathophysiology and mitigation of IBD integrates findings from in vitro cytokine assays, in silico cytokine binding analyses, and in-vivo microbiome study. Credit: Microbiological Research (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2025.128343

James Cook University (JCU) researchers have discovered that the same chemical compounds produced by mountain-top plants to help them survive climate change in North Queensland may also hold promise for treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The study, published in Microbiological Research, is the first to identify that natural compounds from Uromyrtus metrosideros, a plant native to the Wet Tropics, not only help the plant survive environmental stressors but may also restore and revitalize human gut bacteria to treat IBD.

“Rising temperatures and environmental stressors are forcing tropical plants to either die out or adapt,” said JCU Associate Professor Phurpa Wangchuck, who co-supervised the study.

“When plants adapt to stressors, they often secrete a lot of interesting chemicals, many of which show antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

“We wanted to test whether these anti-inflammatory properties can be used to treat inflammatory bowel disease.”

IBD’s impact and the need for new treatments

IBD, which primarily includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic incurable condition characterized by severe gut inflammation.

“In Australia, one in 200 people suffer from IBD, and it’s increasing,” said Assoc Prof Wangchuck.

“Once you get the disease, the symptoms are so terrible that life becomes extremely difficult.

“Constant diarrhea, bleeding, and pain mean people cannot work or live normally.

“IBD costs the Australian economy $7.8 billion a year, which underlines the need for more research and funding.”

How plant compounds could help IBD

Lead researcher and JCU M. Phil Candidate Md Mizanur Rahaman explained that the natural compounds extracted from the Uromyrtus metrosideros plant offer a new way of thinking about IBD treatment.

“Our study shows that two natural compounds—galloyl-lawsoniaside A and uromyrtoside—can reduce inflammation in the gut and help restore balance to the gut microbiome—the community of over 100 trillion microorganisms living inside us,” he said.

“This is important because IBD is linked to a loss of this microbial balance. By helping to restore it, these compounds offer a new way of treating IBD.”

Challenges and future directions for plant-based therapies

The researchers also explain why their pre-clinical trial results have the potential to be more effective for treating IBD than other natural remedies.

Assoc Prof Wangchuck said there are existing natural remedies for people who suffer from IBD, including herbs, but they are hard to standardize.

“It’s hard to get the right dose because chemical compounds in the mixture differ,” he said.

“If you collect a plant today, and if you collect the same plant tomorrow, there will be a lot of variations because of ecological, climatic, and other factors that come into play.

“So, we are trying to tap into those molecules, isolate them, and later see if we can develop that as modern drugs in a tablet or pill form.”

Mr. Rahaman concluded that they believe plant-derived compounds could provide safer, more natural options for patients in the future, and the findings can open the door to further research in this direction.

More information: Md. Mizanur Rahaman et al, Novel plant-derived compounds modulate gut microbiome dysbiosis in colitis mice: A potential therapeutic avenue for inflammatory bowel disease, Microbiological Research (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2025.128343

Citation: Plants adapting to climate change may help IBD treatment (2025, November 11) retrieved 11 November 2025 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-climate-ibd-treatment.html

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