Journal of ethnopharmacology
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Review Meta Analysis
Efficacy and safety of Xuebijing injection (a Chinese patent) for sepsis: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Xuebijing injection (XBJ), a Chinese patent medicine that was approved for treating sepsis in China in 2004, consists of Carthamus tinctorius L. (Carthami Flos, hong hua), Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (Paeoniae Radix Rubra, chi shao), Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (Chuanxiong Rhizoma, chuan xiong), Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. (Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix Et Rhizoma, dan shen) and Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Angelicae Sinensis Radix, dang gui). ⋯ This study suggested that supplementation with XBJ in addition to regular treatment may improve the 28-day mortality rate, APACHE Ⅱ scores, WBC count and body temperature of sepsis patients without serious adverse events, but it may not reduce mortality during treatment, revealing a specific, remote effect of traditional Chinese medicine. However, given the high risk of bias and the low quality of the included trials, we may be unable to draw any conclusions about its routine use. Rigorously designed, multicentre, large-scale, methodologically sound trials are warranted.
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Trichosanthis Fructus (ripe fruits of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. and Trichosanthes rosthornii Harms) is an essential traditional Chinese medicine to treat thoracic obstruction, angina, cardiac failure, myocardial infarction, pulmonary heart disease, some cerebral ischaemic diseases, etc. The present report reviews the advancements in research on the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Trichosanthis Fructus. Finally, perspectives on future research and its possible directions are discussed. ⋯ Trichosanthis Fructus is an essential traditional Chinese medicine with pharmacological activities that mainly affect the cardiovascular system. This review summarises its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology. Future research is needed to clarify the different uses of the seeds, pericarps and fruits. Quality control of investigations of the fruits should be improved, and the potential uses of the flesh, leaves and twigs should be further explored.
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Endemic to China, the distribution of Schisandra sphenanthera Rehder & E.H. Wilson includes giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca David, 1869) habitats in forests of the Minshan and Qinling Mountains, both inside and outside conservation areas. The fruit is used in indigenous medicines of the Qiang, Tibetan and Yi ethnic minorities of Sichuan. Also used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), indications for use are prescribed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. For continued access and medical use, survival of healthy populations depends on forests. Biodiversity conservation programmes implemented in forests within the panda landscapes that also benefit rural and indigenous communities, link future access to wild medicinal plants with survival of the panda and resilient rural economies. ⋯ A decade after the project first started, there is strong evidence for the pro-conservation micro- and small enterprise model. For example, through the establishment of a TCM cooperative with members in 22 villages engaged in sustainable resource management, harvesting and equitable trade of TCM ingredients with organic and panda-friendly branding. The project benefited from multi-disciplinary collaboration of experts in ethnoecology, TCM, panda biology and habitat, nature conservation, sustainability standards and international trade. Inviting interested companies at the start enabled a transition from a funded-project to annual contracts for sustainably harvested TCM herbal drugs. At end of project (2011), the companies and NGOs remained engaged and motivating for completion of activities started during the project. Major eventual outcomes rooted in the initial project included Chinese government authorisation of the FairWild Standard (2016) and Giant Panda Friendly Products Standard (2017).
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Trade in medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) between Nepal and China has taken place for centuries along the Tibetan border. While there is anecdotal evidence that economic development in China over the past decades, coupled with regional infrastructure development and increasing market integration, has substantially changed this trade, there are no current published studies investigating this, e.g. in terms of species and market structure. This knowledge gap impedes the development of public interventions, e.g. in support of sustainable trade. ⋯ This study provides the first structured overview of the current trade in commercial MAPs from Nepal to China. While the trade is thriving, growing in both volume and value to the benefit of producers in Nepal and consumers in China, there is little empirical data or research to support policy formulation on sustainable trading. This study provides informative insights into the value chain and makes public policy recommendations to increase the transparency and sustainability of trade by improving traditional border markets and removing market barriers.
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Comparative Study
Seeing the light: Shifting from wild rhizomes to extraction of active ingredients from above-ground parts of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis.
The dried rhizomes of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as hemostatic, antitumor, and antimicrobial agents. More than 70 Chinese patent medicines are based on P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis rhizomes. Steroidal saponins are considered as the main active ingredients of these rhizomes. However, wild populations of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis are greatly threatened due to the illegal wild harvest and over-utilization of the rhizomes. In contrast, the renewable above-ground parts (leaves and stems) of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis are usually thrown away as waste material, whether from wild or cultivated material. ⋯ Our results revealed that based on saponin content in the above-ground parts of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis and the requirements stipulated in 2015 of Chinese Pharmacopoeia, the above-ground parts (especially its leaves) can be an alternative and more sustainable source of active ingredients compared to the rhizomes.