Current research status and application prospect of numerical simulation in traditional Chinese medicine drying / 中国中药杂志

With the rapid development of computer technology, numerical simulation has gradually become an important method to study drying process and improve drying equipment. Using computer to simulate the drying process of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is characterized by intuitiveness, scientificity, and low cost, which serves as an auxiliary means for technical innovation in TCM drying. This paper summarizes the theories of different drying methods and the research status of numerical simulation in drying, introduces the modeling methods and software of numerical simulation, and expounds the significance of numerical simulation modeling in shortening the research and development cycle, improving drying equipment, and optimizing drying parameters. However, the current numerical simulation method for drying process has problems, such as low accuracy, lack of quantitative indicators for the control of simulation results on the process, and insufficient in-depth research on the mechanism of drug quality changes. Furthermore, this paper put forward the application prospect of numerical simulation in TCM drying, providing reference for the further study of numerical simulation in this field.

Quality control mode based on engineering quality view of Chinese medicine pharmacy / 中国中药杂志

Due to the characteristics of confusing varieties of Chinese medicinal materials, different sources, complex chemical composition, non-standard preparation process, and non-standard pharmaceutical equipment, the quality of Chinese medicinal preparations is difficult to be controlled and evaluated effectively under the current quality control mode and method of Chinese medicinal preparation. The present study proposed an engineering quality view of Chinese medicine pharmacy and a strategy to control the quality of Chinese medicinal preparations based on the current situation. The "overall, dialectical, and dynamic" multi-factor engineering quality view, covering original medicinal materials, preparation technologies, pharmaceutical equipment, and Chinese medicinal preparations, ensures the traceable process, measurable procedures, and feedback quality. The quality control mode of Chinese medicinal preparation with controllable sources, standardized preparation technologies, green pharmaceutical equipment, and intelligent manufacturing is built up.

Drying effect of Chinese medicinal pills based on new spiral vibration drying technology / 中国中药杂志

The present study explored the drying effect of new spiral vibration drying technology on Chinese medicinal pills with Liuwei Dihuang Pills, Zhuanggu Guanjie Pills, and Muxiang Shunqi Pills as model drugs. With the drying uniformity, drying time, energy consumption, pill split, dissolution time, and change of index components as evaluation indicators, the drying effect of spiral vibration drying technology on model drugs was evaluated and compared with traditional drying methods, such as hot air drying and vacuum drying in the oven. The dynamic changes of moisture in Liuwei Dihuang Pills with different drying time were investigated. Compared with the traditional drying methods in the oven(hot air drying and vacuum drying) at 80 ℃, the spiral vibration drying only took 80 min, shortened by 80%, with 10%-13% energy consumed. The results showed that the moisture of Liuwei Dihuang Pills was negatively related to the drying time. By virtue of multi-layer countercurrent drying and super resonant fluidization techniques, the new spiral vibration drying technology can significantly improve the drying quality of Chinese medicinal pills, improve the drying efficiency, and enhance the manufacturing capacity of Chinese medicinal pills. This study is expected to provide references for the innovation and development of new drying technology of Chinese medicinal pills.

Online moisture detection technology and its application prospect in drying of traditional Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

Drying is one of the most common unit operations in the production of traditional Chinese medicine. The drying process of traditional Chinese medicine materials is accompanied by the dynamic reduction of water content. As a key index to determine the end of the drying process, the moisture content of materials plays an important role in improving drying efficiency and saving energy. Recently, the drying process of traditional Chinese medicine is mostly monitored by offline detection, and there are few reports of online moisture detection applications. In this paper, the principle and current application of online inspection technology for the material drying process in different fields were introduced. The significance of online detection technology in drying of traditional Chinese medicine was also analyzed. Meanwhile, the application prospect of online detection technology in the field of drying of traditional Chinese medicine was predicted. In response to urgent transformation and upgrading of the traditional Chinese medicine manufacturing industry, the application of online moisture detection technology is expected to be a key breakthrough in the intelligent upgrading of traditional Chinese medicine drying technology and equipment.

Simulation and experiment of temperature uniformity of Erzhi Pills during hot air drying process / 中草药

Objective: To explore the law of temperature change in hot air drying process, and provide a theoretical basis for improving the drying efficiency and uniformity of Erzhi Pills (EP). Methods: Heat and mass transfer models were established to simulate the temperature distribution of the drying process of EP with no hole bottom and screen hole bottom based on COMSOL Multiphysics. The drying process of EP layer at 60, 80 and 100 ℃ was studied. The effective water diffusion coefficient (Deff) of EP layer was calculated by Fick’s second law plate model. A probe temperature sensor was used to monitor the temperature changes of the intermediate surface and interior of EP layer during the drying process to verify the drying model. Results: The surface and internal temperature of EP layer showed a trend of first sharp rise and then slow rise in the drying process of different hot air temperature. The inner temperature range of the drying model with no hole bottom and screen hole bottom was 55.3-56.0 ℃ and 57.5-57.7 ℃ respectively. The uniformity of drying temperature of EP can be improved by using drying plate with screen hole. The Deff range of the two model experiments were 0.76 × 10-7-2.82 × 10-7 m2/s and 1.15 × 10-7-3.94 × 10-7 m2/s, respectively. The experimental results showed that the model could well reflect the temperature variation of EP layer drying process within a certain drying temperature range. Conclusion: The change of drying temperature was directly reflected through the reliable hot air drying model of EP layer. The study provides reference for the optimization of EP drying process.

Simulation of Drying Process of Single Liuwei Dihuangwan and Analysis of Its Dynamics Based on Weibull Function / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: Taking single Liuwei Dihuangwan(LDW) as the research object,the moisture content change and volumetric shrinkage characteristics in its drying process were investigated,which provided the theoretical basis for improving the drying efficiency of the pills and reducing the quality problems of the pattern pills,crusts and crack pills. Method: The drying characteristics of LDW at drying temperature of 50,75,100,125℃ were studied by constant temperature hot air drying and vacuum drying.Based on sphere model of Fick's second law and Arrhenius equation,the effective diffusion coefficient and activation energy of the drying process were obtained.The volumetric shrinkage characteristics of the pills during the drying process were studied by the projected area method.The Weibull function was used to fit the drying dynamics curve of single LDW. Result: Hot air drying and vacuum drying of LDW both belonged to the decreasing drying processes,and the time required to achieve the same moisture content in vacuum drying was shorter than that in hot air drying.The moisture ratio in the drying process of single LDW obeyed the Weibull function distribution(R2=0.994 5-0.999 7),the scale parameter(α) decreased with the increase of temperature,and drying temperature had significant influence on the shape parameter (β).The effective diffusion coefficients of hot air drying and vacuum drying were 2.626×10-3-7.823×10-2,3.782×10-3-9.042×10-2 m2·s-1, their activation energy were 47.18,42.69 kJ·mol-1,respectively.The volume ratio of hot air drying and vacuum drying of LDW ranged from 0.638 to 0.741 and 0.607 to 0.689,respectively. Conclusion: Weibull function can be adopted to predict the drying and dehydration law of LDW.Under the condition of low temperature drying,slow-down of shrinkage rate of the pills is helpful to prevent the formation of splitting pills,this study provides theoretical and technical basis for dying of LDW.

Discussion on research thought of dry granulation of traditional Chinese medicine: research progress at home and abroad based on dry granulation technology / 中国中药杂志

Dry granulation technology is a great innovation in granulation technology,which saves many intermediate links and reduces many intermediate costs. It is closely related to the characteristics of materials,dry granulation equipment and process. Dry granulation technology is a systematic engineering science covering many technical fields. The process of dry granulation involves complex mathematical model mechanisms of temperature field,pressure field and velocity field,closely related to the characteristics of materials and drying equipment. However,due to the late start of research on dry granulation technology of traditional Chinese medicine,basic research is still weak. The research on dry granulation technology has achieved great results in the fields of food,chemical industry,agriculture and forestry,showing great reference significance. The advantage of dry granulation of traditional Chinese medicine is that it can be directly granulated by adding an appropriate amount of auxiliary materials in the extract powder of traditional Chinese medicine,without the need of wetting,mixing,drying and other processes. The process is simple and can effectively guarantee the quality of traditional Chinese medicine. The granules obtained by the dry granulation technique are important intermediates for preparing the solid preparations of traditional Chinese medicines,which would directly affect the subsequent molding process and the quality of the preparation products. Therefore,based on the characteristics of dry granulation method in traditional Chinese medicine and by referring to the advanced research results of dry granulation technology in other fields,we would discuss the research ideas of dry granulation in traditional Chinese medicine in terms of the mechanism of dry granulation equipment,technology,on-line detection technology and mathematical model of dry granulation process,hoping to provide reference for the research of dry granulation method in traditional Chinese medicine.

Comparison study of the distracted walking condition between ordinary high school students and vocational high school students in Shanghai / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To investigate and compare the prevalence of distracted walking and determinants between general high school and vocational high school students and to provide a reference for the targeted interventions.@*Methods@#A total of 1 777 senior high school students from 4 general high schools and 2 vocational high schools in Shanghai were selected for online questionnaire survey in December 2018 through convenience sampling. The questionnaire included demographic information and behaviors related to distracted walking.@*Results@#In different road environments and crosswalk type, cell phone was used most frequently when waiting for traffic lights and when walking in housing estate roads in general high school students(24.6%,21.2%) and vocational high school student(18.8%,21.4%). More students from vocational schools reported smartphone use while walking in all road type except housing estate road(χ2=30.47,13.22,90.72,79.01,29.88,P<0.01). Listening to music was the main use of mobile phone when walking, students who spent more than half of their walking time listening to music were 31.2% at general high school students and 24.2% at vocational high schools; the need to access information is the primary motivator for smartphone use while walking. Nearly 50% participants realized smartphone use while walking could increase the risk of risky behaviors including inattention to traffic signals and status. About 30% general school students and 50% vocational school students agreed that tips, sprains and traffic collisions associated with distracted walking.@*Conclusion@#Currently, distracted walking is common among high school students, especially for vocational high school students. Pedestrian safety education should be incorporated into school-based education, together with education from parents, peers and the society, with the aim of increasing safety awareness.

Effect and regulation of drying on quality of traditional Chinese medicine pills / 中国中药杂志

The dry quality of traditional Chinese medicine pills is the hot spot of pills research, because their quality has a crucial effect on the efficacy and development of dosage forms. Through literature research and statistical analysis, we would review the current problems on the drying of traditional Chinese medicine pills in this paper, and surrounding the evaluation system for traditional Chinese medicine pills, analyze the characteristics of common drying equipment and processes as well as their effect on quality of pills, discuss the problems in drying equipment and process as well as quality, and put forward the corresponding strategies, hoping to provide new ideas and new methods for the quality improvement of traditional Chinese medicine pills and quality standards.

Status, problems and warranty strategy of quality uniformity for traditional Chinese medicine preparations / 中国中药杂志

The quality uniformity of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation is the base for guaranteeing the safety and effectiveness of clinical medication. At present, the quality of TCM preparation is uneven. At present, the same TCM preparation in different manufacturers, TCM preparations in the same manufacturer, and even different batches of a same TCM preparation in the same manufacturer have great differences in quality, which can not reach stability and uniformity. This paper would discuss the possible factors that influence the uniformity of quality in the whole process of pharmacy by means of consulting relevant literature on quality control of Chinese herbal preparations and analyzing the present situation and problems of the quality of TCM preparation. In addition, some strategies such as standardization of cultivation of TCM, processing standardization, standardization of pharmaceutical equipment, mixed batch feeding, and Quality by Design would be also put forward to provide references for the quality uniformity of TCM preparation.

Analysis and countermeasure for quality risk in process of traditional Chinese medicine preparations / 中国中药杂志

Product quality relies on not only testing methods,but also the design and development, production control and product manufacturing all aspects of logistics management. Quality comes from the process control level.Therefore, it is very important to accurately identify the factors that may induce quality risk in the production process and quality control measures correspondingly.This article systematically analyzes the source of the quality risk of all aspects of the production process in traditional Chinese medicine preparation. Discussing ways and methods of quality risk identification of traditional Chinese medicine preparation and providing references for perfecting the whole process quality management of traditional Chinese medicine preparation.

Analysis on drying process, equipment application status and problem of Chinese materia medica pills / 中草药

The drying technology is one important part in the preparation process of Chinese materia medica pills. However, the quality of dried CMM pills is directly determined by selection of drying method and optimization of process parameters. The paper summarized the principle and technical feature of drying methods for CMM pills which were widely used in industry, such as hot air box drying, vacuum drying, and microwave box drying. The application prospect of some new drying technology for CMM pill as well as equipment was introduced. Problems of limited selection of drying process, low degree intelligent drying equipment, and poor adaptability of equipment existed on drying process of CMM pills. The drying equipment of CMM pills will meet the requirement of GMP production and be more intelligent by in-depth studying on drying mechanism, fusion of new technology on precise sensing, and computer intelligent control technology.

Correlation between Andrographis Herba preparation's fingerprint, pharmacological activity and preparation process / 中国中药杂志

Process design grants the quality connotation to products. This paper was to investigate the correlation between changes of chemical fingerprints of Andrographis Herba preparation and its pharmacological activity, and set up the bridge between key process and quality attributes. By referring to the preparation process of Andrographis Herba. preparation (extracting-concentrating-drying-granulation), HPLC fingerprints were employed to determine the difference of the effective materials of the intermediate micro components. Cluster analysis results indicated that the extraction link had great influence on quality connotation variation of Andrographis Herba preparation. The pharmacological activity of various intermediates was continuously decreased in the models of DPPH antioxidant activity and LPS-induced anti-inflammatory activity in mice peritoneal macrophages. Traditional high temperature treatment process was detrimental to its clinical effect from the curve equation between the key process parameters and pharmacodynamic activity. Partial least square (PLS) was used to construct spectrum-efficiency model equation, and it was verified that this equation could accurately predict the relationship between fingerprints and pharmacological activity, which would facilitate the subsequent evaluation of quality attributes and provide scientific basis for further quality control of the whole process.

Status and problem analysis of drying process and equipment for traditional Chinese medicinal materials and preparations / 中国中药杂志

Drying is the critical link during pharmaceutical process of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which is directly related to the quality of drugs. The key to technology upgrading of pharmaceutical equipment in Chinese materia medica enterprise is the development of new drying techniques, which concerns the modernization of TCM. The study provides new ideas for the drying technology and equipment by means of reviewing the research status of drying process for the traditional Chinese medicinal materials and preparations, and analyzing the traditional and modern drying methods and equipment, as well as their existing problems and corresponding measures for the drying processes and equipment. In addition, this paper expounds the development trend of traditional Chinese medicinal materials and preparations of drying process and equipment.