ABSTRACT
Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has a long history and abundant experience in external therapy, which marks human wisdom. In the early history of human, people found that fumigation, coating, and sticking of some tree branches and herb stems can help alleviate scabies and remove parasites in productive labor, which indicates the emergence of external therapy. Pathogen usually enters the body through the surface, so external therapy can be used to treat the disease. External therapy is among the major characteristic of surgery of TCM. As one of the external therapies in TCM, external application to acupoints smooths the zang-fu organs through meridians and collaterals, thereby harmonizing yin and yang. This therapy emerged in the early society, formed the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, improved in the Song and Ming dynasties, and matured in the Qing dynasty. With the efforts of experts in history, it has had a mature theory. According to modern research, it can avoid the first-pass effect of liver and the gastrointestinal irritation and improve the bioavailability of Chinese medicine. Based on the effect of Chinese medicine and the theory of meridian and collateral, it can stimulate the acupoints, exert regulatory effect on acupoints, and give full play to the efficacy of TCM and the interaction of the two. Thereby, it can regulate qi and blood and balance yin and yang, thus being widely used in the treatment of diseases. In this paper, the use of external application to acupoints, the effect on skin immunity, the regulation of neuro-inflammatory mechanism, the relationship between acupoint application and human circulation network, and the development of its dosage form were summarized through literature review. On this basis, this study is expected to lay a foundation for further research.
Subject(s)
Humans , Acupuncture Points , Biological Availability , Fumigation , Medicine, Chinese Traditional , MeridiansABSTRACT
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparations have made tremendous progresses in modernization, whereas there exist relatively few researches pertaining to preparation structures. As demonstrated by the theory and practice of structure pharmaceutics, the structure properties of dosage forms have significant influences on the quality and efficacy of drugs, which might offer reference for the research and development of TCM dosage forms. With the application of synchrotron radiation X-ray micro-computed tomography (SR-μCT) and other novel technologies in recent years, researches in structure pharmaceutics have made huge advancement, which provide reference and methodology basis for the study of TCM preparations. The article generalized and summarized the recent progresses and methods in the structure researches of pharmaceutics and TCM preparations, and further explored the significance of the researches of structure of TCM preparations. It is expected to provide the basis for the dosage form design, production process improvement, and quality evaluation of TCM and promote the modernization of TCM preparations.
ABSTRACT
With advanced brewing technology and contemporary table culture， alcohol drinking， which can be traced back to Dukang wine in the Xia dynasty， is very common in China. However， excessive alcohol intake can easily cause alcohol liver damage， ranging from abdominal pain and venous thrombosis to severe hypoglycemia and fat embolism， coma shock and even life-threatening cases. Puerariae Lobatae Radix has a cool property and sweet taste， with functions of antipyretic， promoting the secretion of saliva or body fluid， rash and hangover alleviation， and so on. It was first recorded in Shen Nong's Materia Medica and has been listed as a special anti-alcoholic medicine in traditional Chinese medicine since ancient times. For example， the ancient medical book Compendium of Materia Medica and other records claim that Puerariae Lobatae Radix has the effect of relieving alcohol and protecting the liver. At the same time， Puerariae Lobatae Radix has a long history in both medicine and food. It was listed in the List of Articles That Both Serve as Food and Medicine published by the National Health Commission. Therefore， there are many products containing pueraria for hangover and liver protection. Prior to this， many scholars have carried out relevant researches on the anti-alcoholism efficacy of Puerariae Lobatae Radix， but there is a lack of systematic summaries. The author has consulted relevant domestic and foreign literatures in recent years. The related products were summarized and it was found that the anti-alcoholic effect of pueraria root mainly came from puerarin， pueraria flavonoids and pueraria polysaccharide， puerarin polypeptide， pueraria daidzein and its derivatives， including the main mechanisms such as inhibiting alcohol absorption， accelerating metabolism， anti-oxidation， protection of liver and cardiomyocytes， and neuroprotection. Related products are abundant and well evaluated， but research on related genes needs to be deepened. This article reviews the main anti-alcoholic components， mechanism of action and related products of pueraria， and puts forward suggestions for future research directions， hoping to provide reference for further related research.