Research Archive

Extracts from Chinese herbs are capable of reversing multi-drug resistance in cancer cells, which is currently a major obstacle to successful anti-cancer therapy.

Chinese researchers have found that an extract of the Chinese herb Tu Jing Pi (Cortex Pseudolaricis) has potent antifungal activity and may be a potential therapeutic agent for oral candidiasis.

A flavonoid extracted from the Japanese raisin tree, Hovenia dulcis (Chi Chu Tzu), may counter the detrimental effects of alcohol consumption and offer a potential anti-hangover supplement, according to research from the USA.

An active component extracted from the herb Chang Shan (Dichroae Radix) may be useful in the treatment of autoimmune disorders.

Evidence is emerging that the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is becoming resistant to the drug artemisinin.

A Nature Outlook supplement focusing on traditional Asian medicine includes a number of interesting articles, including one on how Chinese herbal medicines interact synergistically with microbes in the human gut.

Chinese herbal medicine theory holds that herbs in a prescription potentise each other and that the doses described in classical prescriptions are crucial to their effect.

An overview of systematic reviews of Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) published in the Cochrane Database has identified areas that could be improved in future studies.

A pilot study carried out in Hong Kong has found that a formula containing the Chinese herb Gou Teng (Uncaria rhynchophylla) can help patients with Parkinson's disease carry out their daily living activities.

Triptolide, isolated from the Chinese herb Lei Gong Teng (Tripterygii wilfordii Radix) could be a source of potential new anticancer drugs.

Two Chinese herbal formulae have been found to have antacid effects in an artificial stomach model.

Chinese internet users were astonished to find the 'secret' ingredient list for the famous haemostatic herbal powder Yunnan Baiyao openly displayed on the websites of Amazon.com and the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

A two-herb formula consisting of the herbs Huang Qi (Astragali Radix, RA) and Sheng Di Huang (Rehmanniae Radix, RR) can enhance diabetic wound healing because of its angiogenic and anti-inflammatory activities, which promote tissue regeneration.

Statistics from the American Association of Poison Control Centers show that no deaths were caused by dietary supplements in the country in 2008.

Artesunate, a compound extracted from the Chinese herb Qing Hao (Artemisiae annuae Herba) should be the drug of choice for adults and children with severe malaria worldwide, according to two major new studies.

Cinnamon bark (Cinnamomi Cortex [Rou Gui]) has a potential role in the prevention of many diseases, according to a review by American authors.

Daily supplementation with ginger root (Gan Jiang [Zingiberis Rhizoma]) has been found to reduce exercise-induced pain by 25%.

Hemp Seed Pill (HSP, [Ma Zi Ren Wan]) can improve the symptoms of patients suffering from functional constipation (FC). Researchers from Hong Kong carried out a rigorously designed two-part study to assess the efficacy of HSP in treating FC. In trial I, involving 96 subjects, the optimal dosage of HSP was determined from among three doses (2.5g, 5.0g and 7.5g, twice daily). A dose of 7.5g twice da ...

The Chinese herbal formula Huang Qin Tang (Scutellaria Decoction) reduces the intestinal side-effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients by stimulating gut cell division and reducing inflammation. The four-herb formula (consisting of Scutellariae Radix [Huang Qin], Jujubae Fructus [Da Zao], Paeoniae Radix alba [Bai Shao] and Glycyrrhizae Radix preparata [Zhi Gan Cao]) is traditionally used to trea ...

Beany flavour is a traditional sensory indicator for evaluating the quality of Huang Qi (Astragali Radix). A root with a strong beany flavour is considered to be of good quality in Chinese medicine. A new study from China has linked the beany flavour to the volatile component hexanal. In addition, the level of hexanal was positively associated with the concentration of astragaloside IV and total p ...