This article summarizes the research progress in recent years on interactions between Chinese medicines and gut microbiota based on the physiological functions of gut microbiota, including imbalance impacts of toxic/irritating Chinese medicines on gut microbiota, prognosis effects of Chinese medicines on gut microbiota imbalance, metabolism effects of gut microbiota on Chinese medicine components, and co-metabolism effects between gut microbiota and host. We would think and prospect the specific biological effects of Chinese medicines, gut microbiota structures and the relations between endogenous metabolites from "gut microbiota and host co-metabolism". All of these aim to investigate biological mechanisms and effective components of Chinese medicines based on gut microbiota and offer a new strategy for promoting safe and effective application of Chinese medicines.
Keywords: co-metabolism between gut microbiota and host; component metabolism; gut microbiota; regulation effects of Chinese medicines.
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