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.

For centuries, Chinese medicinal materials have been used for therapeutic purposes. Chinese medicinal materials are traditionally identified by their organoleptic characteristics, such as the texture or the odor. With the advancement of DNA technology, a molecular approach has become an important tool to complement organoleptic, morphological, anatomical and chemical techniques for the authentication and quality assurance of Chinese medicinal materials.In 2002, the authors published Authentication of Chinese Medicinal Materials by DNA Technology which is the first international reference in this field. After 20 years, this new edition updates the various useful techniques and describes the new techniques developed for molecular authentication. The procedures of each DNA technique are provided in detail for 'step-by-step' experiments.This book is divided into 5 parts with 18 chapters. Part I reviews the current status of molecular authentication and introduces a wide range of DNA techniques. Part II lists the experimental procedures for molecular authentication. Part III describes the DNA fingerprinting-based techniques. Part IV describes the DNA sequencing-based techniques. Finally, Part V provides an account on the recent advancement in molecular authentication, including guidelines for setting up a proper DNA laboratory and concluding remarks.

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.

For centuries, Chinese medicinal materials have been used for therapeutic purposes. Chinese medicinal materials are traditionally identified by their organoleptic characteristics, such as the texture or the odor. With the advancement of DNA technology, a molecular approach has become an important tool to complement organoleptic, morphological, anatomical and chemical techniques for the authentication and quality assurance of Chinese medicinal materials.In 2002, the authors published Authentication of Chinese Medicinal Materials by DNA Technology which is the first international reference in this field. After 20 years, this new edition updates the various useful techniques and describes the new techniques developed for molecular authentication. The procedures of each DNA technique are provided in detail for 'step-by-step' experiments.This book is divided into 5 parts with 18 chapters. Part I reviews the current status of molecular authentication and introduces a wide range of DNA techniques. Part II lists the experimental procedures for molecular authentication. Part III describes the DNA fingerprinting-based techniques. Part IV describes the DNA sequencing-based techniques. Finally, Part V provides an account on the recent advancement in molecular authentication, including guidelines for setting up a proper DNA laboratory and concluding remarks.

This book discusses the application of molecular biology in resource science and authentication of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It also reviews the latest developments in pharmacognosy, introduces new perspectives and insights, discusses the hotspots and focuses in the field of molecular pharmacognosy, and predicts new directions of study. In the last five years, the technologies and scope of molecular pharmacognosy have constantly expanded and evolved. As such, this new edition includes extra content, such as the molecular phylogeography of medicinal plants, functional genome of medicinal plants, and synthetic biology of active compounds. Elucidating the concept, theory, and methodology of molecular pharmacognosy, it promotes the full use of the newly developed technologies and methodologies within the framework of molecular pharmacognosy to solve problems in the field.

This book is a practical guide to the evidence-based medicine (EBM) research methods that are applicable to Chinese medicine (CM). It includes 3 parts: clinical research, healthcare data research and laboratory research. In each chapter, it explains how to acquire, analyze and evaluate a specific kind of CM research result. Authors exemplify the most important methods with successful cases in transforming reliable data into new knowledge of CM. This book emphasizes the requirements for CM researchers to design and conduct CM studies by following the best available principles, standards and guidelines.

Annotation The second volume of this book series on the modern practice of Chinese medicine continues with the focus on evidence-based TCM research. It is even more focused than the preceding one ? providing detailed information about the best sources of herbal supply required for research and drug development purposes. Herbal supply has always been a major concern for TCM researchers because it is difficult to ensure that the supply is of the best quality. Another highlight of the book are the special reviews on the state of Good Agricultural Practice