article calls for pharmaceutical naming of Chinese herbs

[Guest guest]

Phytomedicine. 2006 Jul 21; [Epub ahead of print]

 

 

Complexities of the herbal nomenclature system in traditional Chinese

medicine (TCM): Lessons learned from the misuse of Aristolochia-related

species and the importance of the pharmaceutical name during botanical drug

product development.

 

Wu KM, Farrelly JG, Upton R, Chen J.

 

Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue,

Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA.

 

Herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have diverse

cultural/historical backgrounds and are described based on complex

nomenclature systems. Using the family Aristolochiaceae as an example, at

least three categories of nomenclature could be identified: (1) one-to-one

(one plant part from one species): the herb guan mutong refers to the root

of Aristolochia manshuriensis; (2) multiple-to-one (multiple plant parts

from the same species serve as different herbs): three herbs, madouling,

qingmuxiang and tianxianteng, derived respectively from the fruit, root and

stem of Aristolochia debilis; and (3) one-to-multiple (one herb refers to

multiple species): the herb fangji refers to the root of either Aristolochia

fangchi, Stephania tetrandra or Cocculus trilobus; in this case, the first

belongs to a different family (Aristolochiaceae) than the latter two

(Menispermaceae), and only the first contains aristolochic acid (AA), as

demonstrated by independent analytical data provided in this article.

Further, mutong (Akebia quinata) is allowed in TCM herbal medicine practice

to be substituted with either guan mutong (Aristolochia manshuriensis) or

chuan mutong (Clematis armandii); and mu fangji (Cocculus trilobus) by guang

fanchi (Aristolochia fangchi) or hanzhong fangji (Aristolochia heterophylla)

thereby increasing the risk of exposing renotoxic AA-containing

Aristolochia species to patients. To avoid these and other confusions, we

wish to emphasize the importance of a pharmaceutical name, which defines the

species name, the plant part, and sometimes the special process performed on

the herb, including cultivating conditions. The pharmaceutical name as

referred to in this article is defined, and is limited to those botanicals

that are intended to be used as drug. It is hoped that by following the

pharmaceutical name, toxic herbs can be effectively identified and

substitution or adulteration avoided.

 

PMID: 16863692 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]