Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory intestinal disorder that is difficult to cure and characterized by periods of relapse. To face the challenges of limited treatment strategies and drawbacks of conventional medications, developing new and promising strategies as well as safe and effective drugs for treatment of IBD has become an urgent demand for clinics. The imbalance of Th17/Treg is a crucial event for the development of IBD, and studies have verified that correcting the imbalance of Th17/Treg is an effective strategy for preventing and treating IBD. Recently, a growing body of studies has indicated that phytochemicals derived from natural products are potent regulators of Th17/Treg, and exert preferable protective benefits against colonic inflammation. In this review, the great potential of anti-colitis agents derived from natural products through targeting Th17/Treg cells and their action mechanisms for the treatment or prevention of IBD in recent research is summarized, which may help further the development of new drugs for IBD treatment. •To correct Th17/Treg imbalance is an effective strategy for preventing and treating IBD.•Phytochemicals are promising agents in preventing and treating IBD by targeting Th17/Treg balance.•Chemical structures of phytochemicals are flavonoid, polyphenol, alkaloid and terpenoid derivatives.•The modulatory mechanisms of phytochemicals targeting Th17/Treg balance are involved in regulating transcription factors, nuclear and membrane receptors, and signal molecules of different signaling pathways.