REVIEW article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microorganisms in Vertebrate Digestive Systems
This article is part of the Research TopicRodent Model Organisms: Therapeutic Treatments and Drugs Interaction with the Gut Microbiome, Volume IIView all 34 articles
Jinzhi and Fecal Microbiota Transplant ation: A Comparative Review of Historical and Modern Microbial Therapeutics
Provisionally accepted
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
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Since its formal introduction in 1958, Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) has gained prominence. However, challenges remain in standardizing protocols and optimizing efficacy. This review provides a systematic comparison between the historical practice of Jinzhi and modern FMT, focusing on their preparation methodologies. We hypothesize that specific, underexplored features of Jinzhi preparation could inform and refine current FMT practices. Specifically, we propose that the utilization of adolescent donors, underground low-temperature fermentation, and the deliberate consideration of seasonal timing—all integral to Jinzhi's traditional protocol—may offer novel insights and testable hypotheses for enhancing microbial diversity, functionality, and therapeutic stability in FMT. By bridging this ancient wisdom with modern microbiome science, we aim to outline a novel and actionable framework for developing the next generation of microbiota-based therapeutics, urging future research to empirically test these historically-inspired hypotheses.
Keywords: Administration, Donor, fecal microbiota transplantation, Flora characteristics, FMT, Jinzhi, loess, Microbial composition
Received: 07 Sep 2025; Accepted: 23 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Li, Dai, Yang, Chen, Ma and Feng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Muqi Li
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