Herbal Medicine Research in Taiwan [Review Article by Kaphle et al]

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

 

See " Herbal Medicine Research in Taiwan* by Krishna Kaphle, Leang-Shin

Wu, Nai-Yen Jack Yang, and Jen-Hsou Lin. Evid Based Complement

Alternat Med. 2006 March; 3(1): 149-155. The full text is at

http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1375239

 

This a fine review. Its conclusions are:

 

" The trend toward natural health methods has set off tremendous changes

in the international and domestic market of Taiwan offering unprecedented

opportunities for the development of herbal medicine. Taiwan is taking full

advantage of the links to the ancient cumulative wisdom of the Chinese

people, extending over several thousands of years. Considered one of the

brightest areas of Taiwan's emerging biotech industry, advancement in

CHM is growing with leaps and bounds. With the global herbal medicine

market estimated at roughly US$23 billion in 2002 and slated to grow by

>13% annually, Taiwan knows where the cash is. It is further projected that

the value of the global herbal medicine market will break through the US$40

billion mark by 2006, and Taiwan is striving to grab a major share of it.

Although the government is pumping in lot of resources toward the

development of CHM, its policy to push for biotechnology and integrated big

projects overlooks basic research. Taiwanese decision-makers should learn

lessons from the recent Korean debacle in advance biotechnical science.

With restrains in funding, small researchers cannot sustain rigorous testing

of the medicinal properties of herbal extracts. In the same line, there is

much that the Taiwanese government can do to introduce TCM therapy in

animals kept both for food and companionship purposes, acknowledging

that the global use of medicine in animals far exceeds that in humans.

Hence, to sustain the development of CHM, Taiwan needs to reflect on all

the shortcomings and push for greater reforms in quality research and

production. An effort must also be made to ensure that the availability of raw

materials for the herbal medicine industry is protected in a sustainable way

and that the rush to biotech era medicine does not trample the grass roots

researchers who discover the new compounds. "

 

Best regards,