At present, the commonly used western laxatives in clinical practice are: volumetric laxatives, stimulant laxatives, lubricating laxatives, osmotic laxatives, prokinetic laxatives and bulking laxatives. The representative drugs of volumetric laxatives include magnesium sulfate, which can increase the volume of stool after oral administration and act as a laxative. Stimulant laxatives are represented by fruit guide, rhubarb, senna, etc. These drugs can cause drug dependence, and can lead to colon blackening, so it is not suitable for long-term application. The representative of lubricating laxatives is liquid paraffin, whose laxative effect is weak, and long-term application can cause malabsorption of fat-soluble vitamins. The representative drug of osmotic laxative is lactulose oral solution, which is widely used and can be used by the elderly, pregnant women and children. The representative drug of intestinal motility is Moxaburi, which needs to be used in combination with other drugs when inducing diarrhea. The representative drug of expansive laxatives is polyethylene glycol. This drug is laxative in small doses and can be used in large doses to clear the bowels and do intestinal preparation before colonoscopy. In addition, drugs to improve dysbiosis can also achieve laxative effect by regulating flora, and its representatives are lactobacillin and bifidobacteria.