Chinese Herbal Medicine -- part of a larger healing system called Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which also includes acupuncture, massage dietary advice and exercise. TCM is a popular method of treatment -- is actually called Chinese Drug Therapy in China because it uses a wide variety of substances and therapeutic modalities. Plant, animal and mineral substances are all included in the Materia Medica of Chinese Drug Therapy. The earliest uses date back at least 4000 years to the Shang dynasty. Characters representing medicinal substances have been found carved into oracular bone fragments. These were used diagnostically by the Wu Shaman of this time. The earliest materia Medica, the Sheng Nung Peng Tsao, recorded over 10,000 medicinal substances. While there seems to be an almost unlimited amount of medicinal substances, the most commonly used number around 200. Increased attention has begun being given to the field due to several factors: The apparent success stories in many cases; The failure of Western medicine in many disorders; and Realisation on the part of Western researchers that successful drugs can be designed on the basis of Chinese herbal drugs. This new book presents the latest research in the field.

Plants and other living organisms have great potential to treat human disease. There are two distinct types of biomedical research that seek to develop this potential. One type of research explores the value of medicinal plants as traditionally used and studies of these plants have the potential to determine which plants are most potent, optimize dosages and dose forms, and identify safety risks. Another type of research uses bioassays to identify single molecules from plants that have interesting bioactivities in isolation and might be useful lead compounds for the development of pharmaceutical drugs. This new volume of Advances in Botanical Research covers the recent trends in Medicinal Plants Research over 11 chapters. Topics that are covered include Development of Drugs from Plants – Regulation and Evaluation, Chinese Herbal Medicines for Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Taxol, camptothecin and beyond for cancer therapy. - Covers the recent trends in medicinal plants research over 11 chapters - Topics that are covered include Development of Drugs from Plants – Regulation and Evaluation, Chinese Herbal Medicines for Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Taxol, camptothecin and beyond for cancer therapy

The global popularity of herbal supplements and the promise they hold in treating various disease states has caused an unprecedented interest in understanding the molecular basis of the biological activity of traditional remedies. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects focuses on presenting current scientific evidence of biomolecular ef

The "First International Conference on Traditional Chinese Medicine: Science, Regulation and Globalization" was held from August 30 to September 2, 2000 at the University of Maryland at College Park, Maryland. There were approximately 250 participants from the Peoples Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the United States. This objective of this conference was to promote international collaboration for the modernization of Traditional Chinese herbal medicines (TCM) and their introduction into the global health care system. It was mainly sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China and the NllI National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). It was organized by Dr. William Tai, then director of the Institute of Global Chinese Affairs at the University of Maryland and Dr. Yuan Lin, president of Marco Polo Technologies, Bethesda, MD. This conference was conceived by Dr. Tai two years earlier recognizing that this was an appropriate time and also the unique location of the University of Maryland. Today, there is a growing recognition of the of alternative medicine in modem societies and the rapid loss of importance knowledge about traditional methods for the treatment of the multitude of human illnesses found throughout the world. TCM has been in common use in China for thousands of years; and many of its formulations are well defined.

After the successful introduction of acupuncture to the West, recent advances in analytical methods in chemistry, molecular biology and systems biology – especially the development of the “omic” technologies – have again brought Chinese drugs into the focus of research on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). With more than 1000 publications on the chemistry, molecular biology and pharmacology of TCM drugs in international journals over the last 10 years, Chinese drugs are gaining increasingly reputation and impact. These data offer great opportunities for the development of new pharmaceuticals for various clinical applications. International scientists have compiled relevant and trend setting research results in this book. Topics range from the latest methods of quality and safety assurance by chemical and genetic fingerprints to the development of new pharmaceuticals for a future evidence-based therapy e.g. for cancer, cardiovascular, inflammatory or infectious diseases as well as to recent experimental results on multitarget and synergy research for the preparation of multi-extract-pharmaceuticals from TCM.

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.

Neurobiology of Chinese Herb Medicine, Volume 135 is a valuable book for anyone interested in alternative medicine or the scientific research surrounding ancient herbal medicine. This updated volume in the series includes chapters that delve into timely topics, including the Effects of Lycium Barbarum on the Visual System, the Effect of Chinese Herbal Medicine on Alzheimer's Disease, the Effect and Mechanism of Chinese Herbal Medicine on Parkinson's Disease, the Neurobiology of Chinese Herbal Medicine on Major Depressive Disorder, the Treatment of Insomnia with Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine, and the Metabolic Factors and Adult Neurogenesis: Impacts of Chinese Herbal Medicine on Brain Repair in Neurological Diseases. This series is ideal for Chinese herbal medicine practitioners who are working in a clinical environment, although the clinical applications of Chinese medicinal herbs presented provide useful references and guidance for any clinical practice that specializes in the treatment of various conditions. - Presents a wealth of information on the use of Chinese herbal medicine and its application to many conditions - Provides basic research and clinical studies of Chinese herbal medicines, either as compounds/extracts or formulas - Sheds light on possible action mechanisms of many Chinese herbal medicines