Advances in Research of Cichorium intybus L. in Preventing and Treating Hyperuricemia.

With the rapid social development, people's living habits have undergone great changes. Fast-paced lifestyles have led to an increase in people's unhealthy living habits, especially in diet, such as unreasonable dietary structure and irregular diet. In this situation, the number of patients with hyperuricemia has also been increasing, and the hyperuricemia trend is becoming younger. Clinically, western medicines for lowering uric acid are commonly used, which are not safe and have the risk of injuring the liver and kidney functions. Cichorium intybus L. as a medicinal and edible material, plays an important role in treating the hyperuricemia. Recent studies have shown that C. intybus has significant effect of lowering the uric acid. This paper reviewed the experimental studies of C. intybus inhibiting uric acid production and promoting uric acid excretion, discussed its therapeutic effects and action mechanism, to provide a reference for the development of C. intybus drugs for lowering the uric acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]