Thoughts and practices on studies of membrane processes for Chinese materia medica based on data science / 中草药

Data science is a form of data-oriented science, which serves as a set of theories, methodologies and technologies for data exploration and analysis. Considering that membrane separation process for Chinese materia medica (CMM) manufacturing is a non-linear system, the data obtained regarding its process can be either multivariate, non-linear, strong noise, non-normally distributed, or non-evenly distributed. Due to the special features of data science, research has shed lights on its application in the scientific exploration and technological innovation in the complex membrane processes based on CMM system. There are a few key aspects of data science that are worth mentioning, making it competent as an analytical tool for CMM manufacturing integrated membrane processes. They can be recognized as the following, such as (1) the ability to precisely describe the mass transfer properties of CMM integrated membrane processes; (2) the dynamic description of membrane mass transfer process by molecular simulation; (3) the application of computational fluid dynamics simulation in membrane technology, and (4) the powerful and advanced data processing technology. This paper also reviewed some real case studies encountered by the authors during the investigation of membrane technology for CMM manufacturing based on data science.

Exploratory research into theories and system for membrane technology based on green manufacturing of Chinese materia medica-An emerging concept construction based on material-chemical engineering / 中草药

The implementation of membrane technology in the manufacturing of Chinese materia medica (CMM) plays a critical role in the strategic plan and demand from the perspective of national science and technology, and it is a new and high technology that needs to be popularized in Chinese medicine pharmaceutical industry. The manufacturing technology of CMM is primarily based on the theory and practices of chemical engineering in which the upgrade of its separation technology mainly relies on the advancement in chemical engineering. Our authors have been exploring and implementing membrane technology in the green manufacturing process of CMM in the past decade. Recently, we were granted funding in the topic of "The Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine" from The National Key Research and Development Program of China. In the research proposal, we introduced the emerging concept of "material-chemistry engineering", and suggested the concept of theoretical framework for "the process design and engineering of membrane-based green manufacturing of CMM". The framework included the establishment of analytical testing approach for precise analysis in aqueous CMM environment, a systematic testing and inspection method for the membrane and membrane process to guarantee the safety and effectiveness of the CMM products, as well as the integrated membrane process design and optimization for the CMM manufacturing process. The ultimate goal of the proposal is to achieve high flux and decent separation efficiency for CMM production in multi-scale range, in particular to understand the correlation between the aqueous CMM environment and the structure, property and preparation of the membrane. Furthermore, with the aid of computational modeling in process design and manufacturing, the theoretical foundation of membrane-based CMM green manufacturing can be assured. The innovation in the interdisciplinary of CMM production and material-chemistry engineering will help overcoming the current bottleneck encountered in the CMM manufacturing industry in China, resolving the urgent issues of energy, resources and environment, and providing a feasible solution to sustainable development.

Application prospect of new technology and new equipment in production of Chinese patent medicine / 中国中药杂志

At present,the production equipment and process of Chinese patent medicines still have many problems including high energy consumption,low efficiency,high pollution,and low intelligence,which seriously hinder the transformation,upgrading and modernized development of traditional Chinese medicine industry. With the emergence of various new pharmaceutical technologies and the application of technologies of other fields in traditional Chinese medicine industry,the development of Chinese patent medicine has ushered in new opportunities. The processes such as pulverization,mixing,extraction,separation,concentration,drying and sterilization are unique for the production of Chinese patent medicine. These main features can be distinguished from the manufacturing process of chemical drugs,determining the characteristics of the production process and equipment of Chinese patent medicine. In this paper,each operation unit was mentioned to summarize and analyze the new equipment and new technologies with advantages and characteristics in recent years from the perspectives of definition,principle,classification and application. Among them,the automatic spray device of the mixer,the extraction and separation equipment of volatile oil,and the crane basket-type circulation extraction technology,composite multi-layer spiral vibration countercurrent drying,and vibration sterilization equipment all have rapid development in recent years,with great prospects in the production of Chinese patent medicines. In this paper,we also analyzed some problems existing in the production equipment and technology of Chinese patent medicine and the key factors restricting the development of Chinese patent medicine,discussed the transformation of Chinese patent medicine production from traditional to modern and from semi-automatic to intelligent,and put forward three suggestions to help Chinese patent medicine achieve the goal of improving quality,efficiency and green manufacturing in production.

Thinking and practice on construction of theory and technology system of Chinese materia medica green manufacturing / 中草药

“Green manufacturing” is a modern manufacturing model that comprehensively considers environmental impact and resource consumption. Its purpose is to minimize the negative impact on the environment and maximize resource utilization, and to coordinate and optimize the economic and social benefits of the enterprise. The Outline for Strategic Development of Chinese Medicine (2016—2030) clearly defines to establish a green manufacturing system for Chinese materia medica (CMM) as a key task, and it is imminent to vigorously promote “green manufacturing” concepts and technologies in the pharmaceutical industry of CMM. Based on the basic concept of “green manufacturing” and the scientific practice of the author’s research group for many years, this article systematically discusses the concept, goals and key research content of green manufacturing of CMM in order to provide reference for the construction of “the theory and technology system of green manufacturing of traditional Chinese medicine”. The main arguments include that green manufacturing of CMM is a systematic project, the positioning of resources in the theory and technology system of green manufacturing of CMM has a national strategic significance; A chemical combination with various active ingredients is the core value of CMM resources; Separation is the core of green manufacturing process technology, and industrial ecology with its practical product “industrial ecological park” is the fundamental way out of green manufacturing of CMM.