Preliminary study on suitability of ozone sterilization in traditional Chinese medicine and its preparation / 中国中药杂志

ABSTRACT

Microbial contamination, growth and reproduction have a great influence on the quality of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and its preparation. TCM may be polluted by microbial in the production process due to ambient air, facilities and appliances and operating personnel, which affects the quality and efficacy of the final product. The GMP certification inspection standard of TCM manufacturing enterprises clearly established "Sterilization methods of Chinese herbal medicine, intermediate products, finished products should follow the principle whether or not to change its quality", "TCM powder that used as medicine directly should follow the principle whether to do microbiological examinations". So it's particularly important for product quality, corporate energy consumption and its efficiency to choose the scientific and effective sterilization techniques and methods. Ozone is a kind of safe, environmentally friendly, efficient and no residue emerging sterilization technology. It has been widely applied in various fields of medical and health care and production and living. This paper mainly analyzed the ozone sterilization technology of TCM, aiming to explore the principle of ozone sterilization, the advantages, application status and existing problems and so on. The management regulations and implementation rules of ozone sterilization were summarized to make sterilization of Chinese medicine in the production, management, quality control and other aspects standardized, reasonable and scientific, and to provide the theoretical reference of the ozone sterilization technology for TCM and its preparation.