[Chinese Medicine] Modern Technology to Refine Chinese Herbal Medicine

[Chinese Medicine] Modern Technology to Refine Chinese Herbal Medicine (Chinese Version)

CNA (2010/11/24) Modern technology could make Chinese medicine powders more easily available to consumers, said Department of Health (DOH) Wednesday as it unveiled a new technique of converting herbs into powders.

Traditional Chinese medicine powders in the present market have many disadvantages, said Chien-chih YU, the leading researcher of the project commissioned by DOH's Committee on Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, and also an assistant professor at China Medical University School of Pharmacy.. For example, the ingredients in the powder could deteriorate owing to moisture in the air, the taste is too bitter, and the medication volume overwhelmingly big, said YU.

To solve the problem, YU first applied anti-moisture coating to the powder grains, which prolongs the preservation period, takes away unpleasant tastes, and increases the stability of the ingredients.

With the drug humidity-proof, he lowered the amount of excipiente, a substance of no therapeutic value but added to give form to the drug. As a result, the drug is more concentrated, and the problem is solved of taking huge volumes of medicine per day.

DOC commissioned the project to the academics with a budget of seven hundred thousand NT dollars. DOC said, now it is ready for the technological transference. According to YU, at least two big Chinese herbal medicine pharmaceutical manufacturers are negotiating now; the contract of technological transference shall be signed in the near future.


Reference:
CNA 2010/11/24 (Chinese)
CNA 2010/11/24

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