Long Dan Cao and Inflammation: Biochemical Properties

In TCM, the effects of herbs have been known for a long time and recorded in detail. Clinical histories and notes from scholars offer a depth of experience which practitioners still use today. But time does not stand still. Chinese medicine is evolving and makes use of the latest scientific insights to explain the mechanisms and actions of herbs and formulas in a modern way. This dynamic process of refining our understanding may help to improve the use of Chinese medicine in treating modern diseases, and to stay one step ahead. It would be nice, therefore, to be able to explain the mechanisms of action of Chinese herbs from a biochemical as well as a traditional standpoint.