Table 2.

Chinese herbal formulae.

Chinese herbal formulae	Research subjects	Therapeutic mechanisms and targets	References
Baihu Rensheng decoction	T2DM rat models	Increases the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Blautia, and Anaerostipes in the gut of T2DM rats while decreasing the relative abundance of Allobaculum, Candidatus Saccharimonas, and Ruminococcus. It inhibits TLR4/NF-κB-mediated inflammation and alleviates hyperglycemia and inflammatory responses	Yao et al. (2022)
Gegen Qinlian decoction	T2DM mice models	Regulates the gut microbiota, improves bile acid metabolism, activates the TRG5/cAMP/PKA/CREB signaling pathway, stimulates GLP-1 secretion, and significantly reduces blood glucose levels in T2DM mice, improving oral glucose tolerance	Liu et al. (2024)
Gegen Qinlian decoction	T2DM rat models	Regulates the structure of the gut microbiome by increasing the proportion of SCFA-producing and anti-inflammatory bacteria while decreasing the proportion of conditionally pathogenic bacteria associated with diabetic phenotypes, which helps lower blood glucose and inflammatory cytokine levels	Tian et al. (2021)
Gegen Qinlian decoction	patients with T2DM and T2DM mice models	Improves T2DM by increasing the abundance of Faecalibacterium, elevating SCFA levels, and reducing serum inflammation-related markers, thereby alleviating metabolic disorders and inflammatory states	Gao et al. (2024)
JiangTang Sanhuang pill	T2DM rat models	Activate the FXR/FGF15 and TGR5/GLP-1 signaling pathways in the gut, reducing lipid accumulation and insulin resistance	Tawulie et al. (2023)
JiangTang Sanhuang pill	patients with T2DM	Reasonable blood glucose control may positively correlate with the duration of JTSH tablet administration. Patients with T2DM were satisfied with the Anti-diabetic effects of JTSH tablets, which can significantly reduce blood glucose and insulin resistance and improve the function of islet cells	Shao et al. (2022)
JinQi Jiangtang Tablet	T2DM mice models	Increases Akkermansia, decreases Desulfovibrio, increases the concentrations of acetate, propionate, and butyrate, enhances intestinal barrier function, reduces host inflammation, improves insulin resistance in T2DM, regulates gut microbiota, and promotes SCFA production	Cao et al. (2019)
JinQi Jiangtang Tablet	patients with pre-diabetes	The incidence of diabetes upon treatment completion was 16.5% in the JQJT tablets group compared with 28.9% in the control group. The percentage of patients with normalized blood glucose upon 12-month intervention was 41.8% in the JQJT tablets group compared with 27.8% in the control group	Wang et al. (2017)
PuRenDan	T2DM rat models	Reduces serum lipid metabolism biomarkers and inflammatory factors, regulates the levels of pantothenic acid, 1-methylhistamine, and 1-methylhistidine, participates in the biosynthesis of pantothenic acid and coenzyme A, histidine metabolism, and secondary bile acid biosynthesis, thus improving blood glucose and IR	Ma et al. (2024)
Shenzhu Tiaopi Granule	T2DM rat models	Increase the relative abundance of Lactobacillus in the intestines of T2DM rats, reduce the relative abundance of Allobaculum and Desulfovibrionaceae, and improve blood glucose and lipid levels in T2DM rats	Zhao J. et al. (2019)
ShenZhu TiaoPi Granule	T2DM rat models	Decrease LPS and IL-1β levels, increase the abundance of Intestinimonas, reduce the abundance of Eubacterium coprostanoligenes, regulate bile acid biosynthesis and cholesterol metabolism, and alleviate hyperglycemia	Zhao and Fang (2024)
ShenZhu TiaoPi Granule	patients with impaired glucose tolerance	Reduces the conversion rate from impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) to diabetes and increases the conversion rate from IGT to normal blood glucose levels	Fang et al. (2014)
Shengmai San Formula	Obesity mice models	Reduces the abundance of lactobacilli carrying bile salt hydrolase, increases TCA content, promotes M2 macrophage polarization in adipose tissue, and enhances Slit3 release, improving glucose and lipid metabolism	Wang et al. (2024)
Tianqi	patients with impaired glucose tolerance	Reduced diabetes risk by 32.1% and no serious adverse events occurred in the trial	Lian et al. (2014)