• Rutaecarpine (RUT) significantly ameliorates imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis in mice, reducing skin inflammation and proinflammatory cytokine expression.
• RUT treatment restores gut microbiota homeostasis, counteracting IMQ-induced dysbiosis, suggesting a gut-skin axis in psoriasis.
• The study highlights gut microbiota as a potential therapeutic target or biomarker for psoriasis, offering new avenues for clinical diagnosis and therapy.
• Natural product RUT emerges as a promising, cost-effective alternative to conventional psoriasis treatments, addressing issues of recurrence and drug resistance.