Gut Microbiota Modulation in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has long employed herbal formulations and processing techniques to restore internal balance, in many cases by influencing the community of microorganisms inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract. Modern research reveals that TCM interventions can reshape gut microbiota composition, strengthen the mucosal barrier and modulate immune and metabolic pathways. Key mechanisms include the promotion of beneficial bacteria, suppression of pathobionts and enhancement of barrier integrity through upregulation of tight junction proteins and mucosal cell populations. Analyses combining metabolomics, network pharmacology and high-throughput sequencing have begun to decode the complex interactions between TCM compounds, microbial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids and host signalling networks. These findings underscore the potential of TCM-derived prebiotics and bioactive saponins to address conditions ranging from spleen-deficiency syndromes and diarrhoeal disorders to colorectal carcinogenesis, with implications for global health and novel therapeutic development.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Integrative metabolic and microbial profiling in patients with spleen-yang-deficiency syndrome has revealed a tight linkage between gut dysbiosis and host metabolic disturbances. Comprehensive analysis of plasma, urine and faecal samples demonstrated that specific bacterial groups, including members of Lachnospiraceae and Bacteroides, correlate with alterations in bile acid metabolism, mucosal integrity and carbohydrate processing. This work provides a systemic framework for understanding how TCM syndromes may be mediated by gut microbiota.
In a seminal animal study of colorectal cancer prevention, triterpene saponins derived from Panax species (ginsenosides Rb3 and Rd) acted as prebiotics, normalising dysbiotic microbial communities in ApcMin/+ mice. Treatment enriched beneficial genera (Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus) and reduced gamma-proteobacteria, while restoring goblet and Paneth cell populations and attenuating oncogenic signalling. This holistic reinstatement of the intestinal microenvironment highlights the preventive promise of TCM saponins.

Gut Microbiota Modulation in Traditional Chinese Medicine publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in gut microbiota modulation in traditional chinese medicine across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Dysbiosis: An imbalance in the composition or function of gut microbial communities.

Intestinal barrier: The physical and biochemical interfaces (epithelial cells, tight junctions, mucus layer) that regulate passage of substances from the lumen into the body.

Prebiotic: A substrate selectively utilised by beneficial host microorganisms to confer health benefits.

16S rRNA sequencing: A molecular technique for profiling bacterial community composition by targeting a conserved ribosomal RNA gene.

Spleen-yang-deficiency syndrome: A TCM diagnostic category characterised by digestive weakness, fluid retention and energy depletion linked to microbial and metabolic dysregulation.

References

1. Pingwei San Ameliorates Spleen Deficiency-Induced Diarrhea through Intestinal Barrier Protection and Gut Microbiota Modulation. Antioxidants (2023).
2. Rice Water‐Fried Atractylodis Rhizoma Relieves Spleen Deficiency Diarrhea by Regulating the Intestinal Microbiome. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity (2023).
3. Integrative metabolic and microbial profiling on patients with Spleen-yang-deficiency syndrome. Scientific Reports (2018).
4. Ginsenosides Rb3 and Rd reduce polyps formation while reinstate the dysbiotic gut microbiota and the intestinal microenvironment in ApcMin/+ mice. Scientific Reports (2017).