Guang-Hua Lu

A unique issue in the standardization of Chinese materia medica: processing.

Processing of Chinese Materia Medica (CMM) is a pharmaceutical technique to fulfill the different requirements of therapy, dispensing and making preparations according to traditional Chinese medicine theory. The aims of processing are to enhance the efficacy and/or reduce the toxicity of crude drugs. Those processed products are named as decoction pieces, which are used in clinics. Therefore, there is a close relationship between processing, safety, and efficacy of Chinese medicines. Some toxicity or side effects are caused by improper processing methods and some are due to improper combination of herbal mixtures. Standardization of processing methods for Chinese herbs is as important as authentication to maintain their quality and ensure their safe use. The objective of this paper is to review the literature covering the current situation and problems of CMM processing as well as recent progress in research in this area. A summary of the most urgent work needed is proposed.

Application of Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy in the Quality Control of Traditional Chinese Medicines

Chinese herbal medicines are often referred to as Chinese materia medica (CMM). Composite formulae containing mixtures of CMM are prescribed for treatment and prevention of diseases in the practice of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Some of the well-known CMM formulae (Fufang in Chinese) are manufactured and marketed as proprietary Chinese medicines (PCM). Quality assessment and assurance of these products are difficult; they are a challenging task. Mid-infrared spectroscopy, a classic molecular structure analysis method, has been innovatively applied in the quality control of TCM, and has gained significant impact and advancement in analytical fields. Infrared fingerprinting features appear particularly suitable for the identification of multicomponent matrices in samples whose chemical integrity has not been altered or destroyed because no extraction procedure is needed. This review summarizes and gives an overall view on the application of mid-infrared and two-dimensional correlation infrared (2D-IR) spectroscopy as well as chemometric techniques in the identification of CMM, investigation of TCM processing procedures, and analysis of herb extracts and preparations.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by Hakka in Guangdong, China

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE An ethnobotanical survey was conducted to collect information on the use of medicinal plants by the Hakka living in Guangdong. AIM OF THE STUDY This investigation was to document valuable knowledge represented by Hakka herbal medicine. MATERIALS AND METHODS Information was obtained from semi-structured interviews, personal conversations with practitioners, direct observations, and by reviewing studies of Hakka and Cantonese reported in the literature. RESULTS Our data covered 94 species belonging to 77 genera in 40 families. We found that most species used for medical purposes were for hepatitis (14 species) and skin diseases (12 species). These disorders are prevalent and are primarily treated with medicinal plants. For treatment, the plants were mainly used as teas (Luica, Bugingca and Lopêdca), medicinal baths and soups. The Hakka and non-Hakka people living in Guangdong use different medicinal plants and, in some cases, use the same medicinal plants differently. CONCLUSIONS The fast disappearance of traditional culture and natural resources due to urbanization and industrialization suggests that unrecorded information may be lost forever. Thus, there is an urgent need both to record this valuable Hakka medicinal knowledge and to encourage its transfer to the next generation.

Optimization and validation of a chromatographic method for the simultaneous quantification of six bioactive compounds in Rhizoma et Radix Polygoni Cuspidati

A reverse‐phase HPLC method was developed for simultaneous quantification of six bioactive compounds in Rhizoma et Radix Polygoni Cuspidati. These compounds — polydatin (1), resveratrol (2), rhein (3), emodin (4), chrysophanol (5) and physcion (6) — were analysed from 24 authentic samples of the herb using UV HPLC. Based on the UV absorption characteristics of the six compounds, absorption wavelengths of 306 nm were chosen to quantify compounds 1 and 2, and 290 nm for compounds 3–6. A reliable and reproducible quantitative HPLC method for analysing authentic samples of Rhizoma et Radix Polygoni Cuspidati from different cultivation regions was developed. The results showed that the concentration of compound 1 in samples from Sichuan was almost 2‐fold higher than that of samples acquired in Guangxi. Furthermore, compounds 3 and 5 were not found in all the samples tested. Thus, instead of using polydatin (1) and emodin (4) as markers for quality assessment, as in conventional practice, these findings show that compounds 2 and 6 are more suited to act as marker compounds for a more specific assessment of the quality of this herb.

Improved chromatographic fingerprints for facile differentiation of two Ganoderma spp.

This paper addresses a comprehensive and comparative study of six phytochemical extraction methods for triterpenes from the fruiting body of Ganoderma spp. Quantitative analysis of extracts was performed by HPLC with photodiode array detection. In general, pressurized liquid extraction and microwave-assisted extraction under optimized conditions produce better yields, and the former also significantly reduces the total time of extraction and manipulation of a sample, as well as the amount of solvent used in comparison with conventional soxhlet, reflux, ultrasonic, and methanol-CO(2) supercritical fluid extractions. Based on the improved extraction protocol, the fingerprinting profiles for two species of Lingzhi were established using the consistent chromatographic features of 12 authentic samples. Eleven common peaks of ganoderic/ganoderenic acids were identified using LC-ESI-MS-MS. These specific triterpene groups were adopted as chemical markers for Lingzhi. Using chemometric analysis, the developed fingerprinting was successfully applied to differentiate between the two species under the Ganoderma genus and is applicable as a method for quality evaluation of this valuable medicinal fungus and its related proprietary products.