Correlation Between Traditional Chinese Medicine and Intestinal Microecology / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ABSTRACT

Human microecosystem includes oral cavity, skin, urine and gastrointestinal tract. Intestinal microecosystem is the most important and complex ecosystem. Intestinal microecology is composed of intestinal microflora and its habitat environment. It plays an important role in substance metabolism, nutrient absorption, mucosal barrier, immune regulation, and is closely related to physiological and pathological activities of the body. Human microbial community is composed of bacteria, fungi, viruses and archaea, which have established a highly complex interaction network. Intestinal microbial biomass accounts for 78%of the total human microbial biomass, and there are about 400 to 500 kinds of intestinal bacteria. Normal intestinal flora is the natural barrier of human body, and plays an important role in maintaining human health. One of the most prominent characteristics of intestinal flora is stability. The flora is combined in a certain proportion, and all kinds of bacteria interact with and depend on each other to form an ecological balance in quality and quantity. Any change in the internal and external environment of the human body will affect the number and structure of intestinal flora. In particular, the long-term use of broad-spectrum antibiotics could inhite susceptible enterobacter, which would cause various intestinal diseases and parenteral diseases. Therefore, the maintenance of intestinal microecological balance is of great significance to human' s resistance to infectious diseases caused by intestinal pathogens. In recent years, scholars at home and abroad have found that intestinal microecology is closely related to digestive system diseases, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, obesity and so on. With the increasing number of experimental and clinical studies on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and intestinal microecology, TCM has become a golden key to open the door of intestinal microecology. This paper systematically discussed the correlation between TCM and intestinal microecology in the aspects of etiology, pathogenesis, syndrome, experimental research and clinical treatment.