简介：AccordingtothetheoryoftraditionalChinesemedicine(TCM),Qi(vitalenergy)isregardedasadrivingforceofbiologicalactivitiesinhumanbody,includingbothnutrientsubstancesandorganfunctions.Qi-invigoratingTCMsarewidelyusedtotreatvarioussymptomsanddisorders,suchasfatigue,obesity,immunosuppression,intestinalfloraimbalance,andgastrointestinaldiseases,inwhichQiisconsideredtobereducedordepleted.Interestingly,abundantclinicalevidencessuggestthatthesedisordersareassociatedwiththealternationofintestinalflora,whichdirectlyaffectsdiseasestatus.HereinwereviewtheinteractionbetweengutmicrobiotaandQi-invigoratingTCMsunderhealthyanddiseaseconditionsanddiscussthemechanismsofactionandapplicationsofQi-invigoratingTCMsinenhancinghealthstatusthroughmicrobialalternation.AbetterunderstandingoftheroleofQi-invigoratingTCMsinmodulatingmicrobialcompositionandtheassociationbetweenintestinalmicrobiotaanddiseaseswouldhelprevealtheclinicalconsequencesofmicrobiotaalterationandexploreopportunitiestoharnessthissymbioticrelationshiptoimprovepublichealth.