Asian Journal
Of Traditional Medicines

Abstract: Pi-deficiency (“Spleen” deficiency), a common syndrome seen in clinics practising Traditional Chinese
Medicine (TCM), is one of the main digestive system diseases and is associated with gastrointestinal
microflora. In this study, a molecular biology method of evaluating and screening Pi-deficiency therapy and
other TCM related to intestinal microflora was established. The intestinal microflora were isolated from mice
feces for analysis; the total DNA extracted from the fecal intestinal microflora and its Enterobacterial
Repetitive Intergenic Consensus PCR (ERIC-PCR) protocol were studied. The Pi-deficiency model involved
treatment with an aqueous extract of Radix et Rhizoma Rhei and Reserpine. An analysis and comparison of
the ERIC-PCR fingerprints of intestinal microflora of mice feces obtained from healthy animals, Pi-deficient
animals and those cured by decoctions of Si-jun-zi-tang and Li-zhong-tang were carried out . The
ERIC-PCR fingerprints showed changes in all the intestinal microflora, and the method was found to be
an efficient method for evaluating and screening Pi-deficiency therapy and the other TCM acting on intestinal
microflora.

Key words: intestinal microflora, Pi-deficiency, genomics, Traditional Chinese Medicine, evaluating and screening