No key relevant to modernization of Chinese materia medica by searching efficacy substance / 中草药

ABSTRACT

The question that searching efficacy substance is not the key relevant to modernization of Chinese materia medica (CMM) was discussed in the following three aspects its possibility, necessity and the feasibility of quality control without knowing the effect substance. It is pointed out that definite understandings of active components and mechamism, high and immediate efficacy are not the necessary characteristics of CMM. Searching the active ingredients is not main task for the modernization of CMM. On the basis of not completely knowing the active components, quality control and establishing standard system of evaluating herbal medicine efficacy with the characteristics of TCM are two key problems. The quality control of herbal medicine should be concentrated on multi steps, multi means and vague recognition of general characters. The characteristics of multi systematic, mild and slow, and pattern associated effects should be seriously considered in assessing herb efficacy on the prerequisite of being methodologically in accordance with modern science. In the meantime, the quality control study of herbal medicine must be on such a basis.