[Effects of rikkunshito on postoperative anorexia]

Rikkunshito is a traditional Japanese medicine used to treat a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms. In several previous studies, it was demonstrated that rikkunshito stimulates gastrointestinal movement, accelerates gastric emptying, and promotes gastric adaptive relaxation. Clinically, it is known that rikkunshito attenuates dyspeptic symptoms, appetite loss, and gastroesophageal reflux after gastrointestinal surgery and in chemotherapy-induced nausea and anorexia. A recent study has demonstrated that rikkunshito affects the appetite-enhancing hormone ghrelin. Rikkunshito was also reported to increase plasma ghrelin levels and to enhance the action of ghrelin. Rikkunshito may alleviate dyspeptic symptoms after gastrointestinal surgery through its prokinetic effects and ghrelin.