Paul Pui-hay But

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for centuries in the Orient to relieve or treat diseases. Its efficacy is now attracting worldwide attention. Chinese medicinal materials are traditionally identified by their organoleptic characteristics, such as the texture or the odor. To ensure consistency of quality and avoid misuse, reliable programs are urgently needed for authentication. Proper authentication also assists in the detection and conservation of endangered species. DNA molecules offer a more definitive means of authentication, as genetic composition is unique for each taxon and is less affected by age, physiological conditions and environmental factors. This book is the first of its kind to introduce and evaluate the molecular techniques that have been developed to authenticate Chinese medicinal materials. The contents of the book are divided into four parts. The first part reviews the current status of molecular authentication of Chinese medicinal materials. The second part describes the equipment and materials required for the work. In the third part, researchers in the field present the principles and step-by-step protocols for a wide spectrum of techniques used in the molecular authentication of TCM. The last part provides an overview of this field.

Traditional folk medicine practices in China, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea — all located in Northeast Asia — are comparable. Since different usage of a folk medicine may reflect cultural or regional differences, a detailed collation of the folk knowledge of traditional medicine can help to identify common applications derived from different empirical knowledge as well as variations in appreciation of the value of the same source in different cultural settings. The fourth volume of this book series continues with the objective of collating relevant information for showing the differences and similarities of traditional folk medicine practiced around the world. It features 147 of the most frequently used medicinal plants, 43 animals, and 10 minerals in Northeast Asia as selected by the international editorial board. The folk medical knowledge in each entry includes the scientific names of the source, local names of the drug, special processing methods, administration methods, and applications in each country. Contraindications and side effects, if any, are highlighted. Relevant scientific data on their chemistry and pharmacology, with references, are also included. All this scientific information should be a valuable asset to medical and research scientists working on the bioactive components of natural products.

This book is the second volume of a comprehensive 2-volume book covering modern pharmacological and clinical studies of the most commonly used Chinese herbal drugs. It contains monographs of 127 kinds of the most commonly used Chinese Materia Medica. The information on each herb was compiled by a research specialist active in the scientific investigation of that particular type of herb. The description on each drug includes an introduction (source, character and taste, actions and indications according to traditional Chinese medicine etc.), chemical composition, pharmacology, clinical studies, adverse effects and references. The translation of the book into English was done by qualified professionals in the field and the terms used are consistent with those used in Index Medicus, Chemical Abstracts and Botanical journals.

This book is the first volume of a comprehensive 2-volume book covering modern pharmacological and clinical studies of the most commonly used Chinese herbal drugs. It contains monographs of 250 kinds of the most commonly used Chinese Materia Medica. The information on each herb was compiled by a research specialist active in the scientific investigation of that particular type of herb. The description on each drug includes an introduction (source, character and taste, actions and indications according to traditional Chinese medicine etc.), chemical composition, pharmacology, clinical studies, adverse effects and references. The translation of the book into English was done by qualified professionals in the field and the terms used are consistent with those used in Index Medicus, Chemical Abstracts and Botanical journals.