Objective: To study on four natures of six flavor Chinese meteria medica as rhizoma coptidis, radix scutellariae, radix aconiti lateralis praeparata, rhizoma zingiberis, rhizoma dioscoreae and radix et rhizoma glycyrrhizae.
Methods: To determine the biological enthalpy of extracts of Chinese meteria medica, rats' metabolites and excrement after feeding the extract of medicines and the standard substance of basic by the oxygen bomb calorimeter.
Results: The biological enthalpy of rhizoma coptidis, radix scutellariae, radix aconiti lateralis praeparata, rhizoma zingiberis, rhizoma dioscoreae and radix et rhizoma glycyrrhizae were (3006.02 +/- 201.51)J/g, (1592.41 +/- 404.41)J/g, -(433.10 +/- 64.43)J/g, -(665.72 +/- 198.59)J/g, -(18.41 +/- 50.08)J/g, (29.55 +/- 55.13)J/g respectively. According to the results, rhizoma coptidis and radix scutellariae showed cold properties, whereas those of radix aconiti lateralis praeparata and rhizoma zingiberis were opposite as well as rhizoma dioscoreae and radix et rhizoma glycyrrhizae were neutral drugs.
Conclusion: The four natures of Chinese meteria medica presente in traditional Chinese pharmacology could be determined by the mathematical model of four natures.