Gastrointestinal tract is the main target organ that rhubarb acts upon. By analyzing the published papers recently related to rhubarb and gastrointestinal tract

the regulatory functions and the mech -anisms of rhubarb to gastrointestinal tract were outlined. The problems existed in the progress of rhubarb research and the research fields involving rhubarb that should be emphasized were also pointed out. Thus

this paper might pave the way for further development as well as clinical use of rhubarb.