以腸道微生物相為基礎的整合多體學研究：次世代中醫草藥學研究

Gut Microbiota-Based Integrated Multiomics Study-The Next Generation TCM Herbology Research

在中醫理論的指導下，中醫草藥學及其細膩而復雜的草藥成分配方已為亞洲患者之疾病緩解做出巨大貢獻。然而，由於缺乏正式現代科學驗證的過程，許多未知的機制限制中醫草藥學的應用。腸道菌群生活在動物腸道，維持宿主體內穩態和健康。越來越多的證據表明腸道菌群與中醫草藥學的治療效果具密切相關。基於腸道菌群的尖端多組學研究平台的快速發展，現在是將這些平台整合到下一代中藥草藥學研究開發的時候。在這篇綜述，我們首先對中藥和相關草藥學的利弊作一概述。由於中藥成分在口服後會與腸道菌群接觸，因此它們的發酵代謝產物而非原始成分，實際在宿主體內發揮重要作用。在此討論如何使用基於腸道菌群的多元組學平台來進行下一代中醫草藥學研究。

Under the guidance of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, TCM herbology together with their formulae characterized by very delicate and complex herbal ingredients have been making a great contribution in disease amelioration in Asian patients for centuries. However, the as-yet-unknown mechanisms restrict their application due to lack of formal process of modern scientific validation. Gut microbiota lives as a community in animals' intestines and function to maintain host homeostasis and health. Increasing evidences indicate gut microbiota is closely associated with the therapeutic activity of TCM herbology. Based on the rapid development of microbiota-based cutting-edge multiomics research platforms, it is about time that these platforms be integrated into development of next generation TCM herbology research. In this review, we first make a general introduction on the pros and cons of the TCM and related herbology study. As TCM herbal ingredients are encountered with gut microbiota after oral administration, their fermented metabolites, rather than the original components, may practically function in the host. How to use gut microbiota-based integrated multiomics platforms to proceed to the next generation TCM herbology study is discussed.