Cui et al. (2019) obtained a purified polysaccharide SP1-1 from S. baicalensis, and found that SP1-1 administration can effectively improve DSS-induced colitis by reducing DAI scores, colonic lesions, and MPO activity. SP1-1 significantly suppressed the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-18 in the serum and colon of DSS-induced colitis mice and LPS-induced THP-1 derived macrophages. In addition, SP1-1 remarkably decreased the colonic CD11b+ macrophage infiltration. The gene discussed is IL18; the disease is colitis.