Safety issues and new rapid detection methods in traditional Chinese medicinal materials

The safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a major strategic issue that involves human health. With the continuous improvement in disease prevention and treatment, the export of TCM and its related products has increased dramatically in China. However, the frequent safety issues of Chinese medicine have become the 'bottleneck' impeding the modernization of TCM. It was proved that mycotoxins seriously affect TCM safety; the pesticide residues of TCM are a key problem in TCM international trade; adulterants have also been detected, which is related to market circulation. These three factors have greatly affected TCM safety. In this study, fast, highly effective, economically-feasible and accurate detection methods concerning TCM safety issues were reviewed, especially on the authenticity, mycotoxins and pesticide residues of medicinal materials.

Thinking and practice of animal ethology in study of cold and hot nature of traditional Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

From the view of macroscopic animal ethology combined with computer and modem image processing technique, by monitoring the temperature tropism of animal affected by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with different Cold and Hot natures and obtaining many behavior parameters which were difficult to assess in direct observation, the differences between the Cold and Hot nature of TCM were evaluated and presented. This method could real-time, intuitively and objectively, qualitatively and quantitatively monitor the temperature tropism of experimental animals with no disturbance. Further, the Cold and Hot nature of TCM can be expressed from the whole animal level. This method met to the application peculiarity of TCM and suited for the TCM theoretical system. It is a attempt for the study of drug nature of TCM. It also contributed to elucidate the objective authenticity and scientific connotation of Cold and Hot nature of TCM, and express the inherent connection of this nature and the temperature tropism of animal. In this review, a new point and technology platform was provided for establishing an objective method for evaluating the Cold and Hot nature of TCM, which are corresponding with the feature of the application of TCM.

Tissue distribution of free anthraquinones in SD rats after orally administered extracts from raw and prepared rhubarbs / 药学学报

Rhubarb anthraquinone derivatives (AQs) have been documented to have both therapeutic and toxic effect on liver and kidney, leading to a complex puzzle to assess their benefits and risks. In this study, the tissue distributions of AQs in SD rats after orally administrated extracts of raw and prepared rhubarb were examined whether they undergo different uptake. The total rhubarb extract (14.49 g x kg(-1) of body weight per day od, counted on the quantity of crude material) was administrated orally for 12 weeks. The concentrations of the AQs in different tissues were quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The five major AQs, aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophynol and physcion, could all be detected in the liver, kidney and spleen, while only rhein, aloe-emodin and emodin reached the quantitative limit. The tissue concentrations of AQs in raw rhubarb group were higher than that in steamed rhubarb group with rhein > emodin > aloe-emodin in the same tissue. On the whole, the tissue distribution of rhein was higher than that of emodin and aloe-emodin in liver, spleen and kidney. AQs could not be detected in those tissues after drug withdraw for 4 weeks, which suggested scarcely any accumulative toxicity of rhubarb. The result indicated that raw rhubarb had more tissue toxicity than steamed rhubarb and rhein may be one of the major poisonous ingredients. The results were concordant with the traditional Chinese medicine theory of toxicity-attenuating effect of processing.

Microcalorimetric studies of the action on four organic acids in Radix isatidis on the growth of microorganisms / 生物工程学报

The actions of four organic acids in Radix isatidis, a traditional Chinese medicinal (TCM) herb, on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella dysenteriae growth were investigated by microcalorimetry. The four organic acids were syringic acid, 2-amino-benzoic acid, salicylic acid and benzoic acid. The power-time curves of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella dysenteriae growth with and without organic acids were acquired, meanwhile the extent and duration of inhibitory effects on the metabolism were evaluated by growth rate constants (k1, k2), maximum heat-output[0] power (P(m)) and peak time (t(m)). The inhibitory activity varied with different drugs. The sequences of anti-microbial activity of the four organic acids on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella dysenteriae were all: syringic acid > 2-amino-benzoic acid > salicylic acid > benzoic acid. And benzoic acid promoted the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella dysenteriae. This study provides a basis for the further study on Radix Isatidis.