Chinese herbal medicine combined with Western medicine for Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children:An overview of systematic reviews

Objective:To summarize the characteristics and evaluate the quality of the methodology and evidence within systematic reviews(SRs)of Chinese herbal medicine(CHM)for Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia(MPP)inchildren.Methods:SRs of randomized controlled trials were searched using PubMed,the Cochrane Library,Embase,the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Databases(CNKI),the Chinese Scientific Journals Database(VIP),Wanfang,and the SinoMed Database.SRs on the use of CHM alone or in combination with Western medications for MPP in children were included.The study compared the effects of Western medicine alone with those of CHM.The evidence quality using the A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews(AMSTAR)2,the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses(PRISMA)2020,and the Grading of Recommendations,Assessment,Development,and Evaluation(GRADE)criteria.The primary indicators were the total effective rate,fever subsidence time,and cough disappearance time.The secondary outcomes were pulmonary rale disappearance time,average hospitalization time,lung X-ray infiltrate disappearance time,immunological indices,and inflammatory cytokine levels.Results:Twelve relevant SRs were included;75%(9/12)were assessed as very low quality,and 25%(3/12)Were rated as low quality using the AMSTAR 2 criteria.According to the PRISMA 2020 checklist,the average SR score was 20.3 out of a 27 point maximum.In all SRs,CHM demonstrated improvement in symptoms and signs among children with MPP.The evidence quality using the GRADE criteria ranged from"very low"(>50%)to"moderate"(<5%).The most common downgrading factor was imprecision,followed by publication bias and inconsistency.Conclusion:This overview highlights the limited quality of the methodology and evidence of the included SRs.Although the included studies showed the beneficial effects of CHM on MPP in children,it was difficult to draw firm conclusions owing to methodological flaws.

Exploring the transformative impact of traditional Chinese medicine on depression:Insights from animal models

Depression,a prevalent and complex mental health condition,presents a significant global health burden.Depression is one of the most frequent mental disorders;deaths from it account for 14.3%of people worldwide.In recent years,the integration of complementary and alternative medicine,including traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),has gained attention as a potential avenue for addressing depression.This comprehensive review critically assesses the efficacy of TCM interventions in alleviating depressive symptoms.An in-depth look at different research studies,clinical trials,and meta-analyses is used in this review to look into how TCM practices like herbal formulations,acupuncture,and mindbody practices work.The review looks at the quality of the evidence,the rigor of the methods,and any possible flaws in the current studies.This gives us an idea of where TCM stands right now in terms of treating depression.This comprehensive review aims to assess the efficacy of TCM interventions in alleviating depressive symptoms.In order to learn more about their possible healing effects,the study also looks into how different types of TCM work,such as herbal formulas,acupuncture,and mind-body practices.

The Making of a Health Profession:How Chinese Medicine Became a Nationally Registered Allied Health Profession in Australia

In 2012, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) practitioners in Australia became nationally-registered allied health professionals in three categories: acupuncturist, Chinese herbal medicine practitioner, and Chinese herbal medicine dispenser. Australia was the first Western country to introduce national registration for Chinese medicine, followed by Portugal and, recently, New Zealand. The practice of TCM in Australia can be traced back to the beginning of Chinese immigration to Australia during the Victorian Gold Rush which began in the 1850s. The process which led to national registration commenced in the early 1970s with the establishment of the first acupuncture courses. Decades of gradual development of courses from unaccredited part-time diplomas to accredited bachelor degrees, and the development, by the profession, of national consensus on educational standards were essential elements in the process which led to registration. Professional associations, such as the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association Ltd.(AACMA), also developed a framework of professional selfregulation, including Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, ongoing professional development requirements and Infection Control Guidelines, and provided leadership in the development of the profession. After decades of tribalism and division within the TCM profession, the National Academic Standards Committee brought almost all stakeholders together to reach a consensus on the Australian Guidelines for Traditional Chinese Medicine Education which were published by AACMA in 2001. Professional associations also collaborated on joint submissions to the government in support of registration, which was introduced first in the state of Victoria in 2000, and subsequently became national in 2012. Despite national registration, some barriers still remain, and professional associations continue to lobby the federal government for inclusion in Medicare, chronic disease management scheme, and Veterans Affairs.

Comparative efficacy and safety of Chinese patent medicines of iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy:A network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Iron deficiency anemia(IDA)is a prevalent nutritional disorder during pregnancy.Clinical studies indicate that incorporating Chinese patent medicines(CPMs)with oral iron(OI)in treating IDA in pregnancy can reduce adverse effects and improve clinical outcomes.Nonetheless,the comparative efficacy of different CPMs remains unclear.AIM To assess the safety and effectiveness of different CPMs for treating IDA during pregnancy using network meta-analysis.METHODS We conducted a search for randomized controlled trials(RCTs)that combined CPM and OI for IDA treatment in pregnancy,spanning from 2013 to the present.Data analysis was performed using Rev Man 5.3 and Stata 14.0 on literature that satisfied the quality criteria.RESULTS The analysis included 45 RCTs,encompassing 4422 pregnant patients with IDA.Six CPMs were examined,including Shengxuebao Mixture,Shengxuening Tablets(SXN),Yiqi Weixue CPMs(YQWX),Jianpi Shengxue CPMs(JPSX),Yiqi Buxue Tablets,and Compound Hongyi Buxue Oral Liquid(FFHY).Findings indicated that FFHY+OI significantly improved the clinical effective rate.SXN+OI was most effective in boosting red blood cells counts and hemoglobin levels.YQWX+OI showed superior results in improving serum ferritin,and SXN+OI was most effective in increasing serum iron levels.JPSX+OI was optimal in reducing adverse pregnancy outcomes,while YQBX+OI effectively minimized adverse events.A cluster analysis suggested that SXN+OI could be the potentially optimal therapeutic regimen for IDA in pregnancy.CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that the combination of OI with CPMs offers better outcomes than OI alone.Based on clinical efficacy and other measured outcomes,SXN+OI emerges as the most effective treatment modality for improving the health of pregnant patients with IDA.

Chinese herbal medicine decreases incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in diabetes mellitus patients with regular insulin management

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus(DM)is an independent risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),while insulin is a potent mitogen.Identifying a new therapeutic modality for preventing insulin users from developing HCC is a critical goal for researchers.AIM To investigate whether regular herbal medicine use can decrease HCC risk in DM patients with regular insulin control.METHODS We used data acquired from the Taiwan,Chinaese National Health Insurance research database between 2000 and 2017.We identified patients with DM who were prescribed insulin for>3 months.The herb user group was further defined as patients prescribed herbal medication for DM for>3 months per annum during RESULTS We initially enrolled 657144 DM patients with regular insulin use from 2000 to 2017.Among these,46849 patients had used a herbal treatment for DM,and 140547 patients were included as the matched control group.The baseline variables were similar between the herb users and nonusers.DM patients with regular herb use had a 12%decreased risk of HCC compared with the control group[adjusted hazard ratio(aHR)=0.88,95%CI=0.80–0.97].The cumulative incidence of HCC in the herb users was significantly lower than that of the nonusers.Patients with a herb use of>5 years cumulatively exhibited a protective effect against development of HCC(aHR=0.82,P<0.05).Of patients who developed HCC,herb users exhibited a longer survival time than nonusers(aHR=0.78,P=0.0001).Additionally,we report the top 10 herbs and formulas in prescriptions and summarize the potential pharmacological effects of the constituents.Our analysis indicated that Astragalus propinquus(Huang Qi)plus Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge(Dan Shen),and Astragalus propinquus(Huang Qi)plus Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim.(Tian Hua Fen)were the most frequent combination of single herbs.Meanwhile,Ji Sheng Shen Qi Wan plus Dan Shen was the most frequent combination of herbs and formulas.CONCLUSION This large-scale retrospective cohort study reveals that herbal medicine may decrease HCC risk by 12%in DM patients with regular insulin use.

The enlightenment of artificial intelligence large-scale model on the research of intelligent eye diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine

Eye diagnosis is a method for inspecting systemic diseases and syndromes by observing the eyes.With the development of intelligent diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM);artificial intelligence(AI)can improve the accuracy and efficiency of eye diagnosis.However;the research on intelligent eye diagnosis still faces many challenges;including the lack of standardized and precisely labeled data;multi-modal information analysis;and artificial in-telligence models for syndrome differentiation.The widespread application of AI models in medicine provides new insights and opportunities for the research of eye diagnosis intelli-gence.This study elaborates on the three key technologies of AI models in the intelligent ap-plication of TCM eye diagnosis;and explores the implications for the research of eye diagno-sis intelligence.First;a database concerning eye diagnosis was established based on self-su-pervised learning so as to solve the issues related to the lack of standardized and precisely la-beled data.Next;the cross-modal understanding and generation of deep neural network models to address the problem of lacking multi-modal information analysis.Last;the build-ing of data-driven models for eye diagnosis to tackle the issue of the absence of syndrome dif-ferentiation models.In summary;research on intelligent eye diagnosis has great potential to be applied the surge of AI model applications.

HHO optimized support vector machine classifier for traditional Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation of diabetic retinopathy

AIM:To develop a classifier for traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome differentiation of diabetic retinopathy(DR),using optimized machine learning algorithms,which can provide the basis for TCM objective and intelligent syndrome differentiation.METHODS:Collated data on real-world DR cases were collected.A variety of machine learning methods were used to construct TCM syndrome classification model,and the best performance was selected as the basic model.Genetic Algorithm(GA)was used for feature selection to obtain the optimal feature combination.Harris Hawk Optimization(HHO)was used for parameter optimization,and a classification model based on feature selection and parameter optimization was constructed.The performance of the model was compared with other optimization algorithms.The models were evaluated with accuracy,precision,recall,and F1 score as indicators.RESULTS:Data on 970 cases that met screening requirements were collected.Support Vector Machine(SVM)was the best basic classification model.The accuracy rate of the model was 82.05%,the precision rate was 82.34%,the recall rate was 81.81%,and the F1 value was 81.76%.After GA screening,the optimal feature combination contained 37 feature values,which was consistent with TCM clinical practice.The model based on optimal combination and SVM(GA_SVM)had an accuracy improvement of 1.92%compared to the basic classifier.SVM model based on HHO and GA optimization(HHO_GA_SVM)had the best performance and convergence speed compared with other optimization algorithms.Compared with the basic classification model,the accuracy was improved by 3.51%.CONCLUSION:HHO and GA optimization can improve the model performance of SVM in TCM syndrome differentiation of DR.It provides a new method and research idea for TCM intelligent assisted syndrome differentiation.

Systematic review of Chinese herbal medicine for functional constipation

Constipation is a common gastrointestinal complaint in clinical practice, affecting an estimated 27% of the population. Many patients are disappointed by current conventional treatments and, therefore, seek help from complementary and alternative medicine （CAM）. Traditional Chinese medicine, is the most important part of CAM and has been practiced for treating diseases and promoting the health of humans for thousands of years, and has become a popular alternative choice. Although there are many Chinese herbal medicine （CHM interventions available, and some have been verified b＇ clinical trials, their efficacy and safety are still questioned by both patients and health care providers worldwide. The purposes of this review are, first, to appraise the qualities of individual study designs in the new Cochrane approach. Second, the benefits of individual CHM interventions or individual types of CHM intervention for the treatment of functional constipation are analyzed. Finally, valid and comprehensive conclusions are drawn, if applicable, in order to make clinical recommendations.

Patient-reported Outcomes (PROs): An Approach to Evaluate Treatment Efficacy of Chinese Medicine or Integrative Medicine

Chinese medicine (CM) has been an experience based practice over the past three thousand years. The safety and efficacy of CM has been practised through experience, rather than nowadays’ modern scientific measurements. In this way, the development of CM has not been keeping pace with the advance in science and technology and the progress in orthodox medicine. In order to meet the requirements of modern science and technology, an evidence based approach must be adopted. Reassurance is needed to convince people for safety and efficacy of CM and give confidence to the evidence based demands ——“Tradition is confirmed by Modern Science” (1) .

Efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine for benign prostatic hyperplasia： systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Chinese herbal medicine is commonly used as a treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia （BPH）, but its efficacy and safety remain to be examined. To compare the efficacy and adverse events of Chinese herbal medicine alone or used adjuvantly with Western medications for BPH. Two independent reviewers searched the major electronic databases for randomized controlled trials comparing Chinese herbal medicine, either in single or adjuvant use with Western medication, with placebo or Western medication. Relevant journals and grey literature were also hand-searched. The outcome measures included changes in urological symptoms, urodynamic measures, prostate volume and adverse events. The frequency of commonly used herbs was also identified. Out of 13 922 identified citations of publications, 31 studies were included. Eleven studies with a Jadad score i〉 3 were selected for meta-analysis. Chinese herbal medicine was superior to Western medication in improving quality of life and reducing prostate volume. The frequency of adverse events in Chinese herbal medicine was similar to that of placebo and less than that of Western medication. The evidence is too weak to support the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine for BPH due to the poor methodological quality and small number of trials included. The commonly used herbs identified here should provide insights for future clinical practice and research. Larger randomized controlled trials of better quality are needed to truly evaluate the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine.

Metabolomic and structural brain connectomic evidence validating traditional Chinese medicine diagnostic classification of major depressive disorder

OBJECTIVE Major depressive disorder(MDD) is a highly heterogeneous mental illness.Further classification may help characterize its heterogeneity.The purpose of this study was to examine metabolomic and brain connectomic associations with traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) diagnostic classification of MDD.METHODS Fifty unmedicated depressed patients were classified into Liver Qi Stagnation(LQS,n=30) and Heart and Spleen Deficiency(HSD,n=20) subtypes according to TCM diagnosis.Healthy volunteers(n=28) were included as controls.Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS) and diffusion tensor imaging were used to detect serum and urinary metabolomic profiles and whole-brain white matter connectivity,respectively.RESULTS In metabolomic analysis,28 metabolites were identified for good separations between TCM subtypes and healthy controls in serum and urine samples.While both TCM subtypes had similar profiles in proteinogenic branched-chain amino acids and energy metabolism-related metabolites that were differentiated from healthy controls,the LQS subtype additionally differed from healthy controls in multiple amino acid metabolites that are involved in the biosynthesis of monoamine and amino acid neurotransmitters.Several metabolites are differentially associated with the two subtypes.In connectomic analysis,The LQS subtype showed significant differences in multiple network metrics of the angular gyrus,middle occipital gyrus,calcarine sulcus,and Heschl′ s gyrus when compared to the other two groups.The HSD subtype had markedly greater regional connectivity of the insula,parahippocampal gyrus,and posterior cingulate gyrus than the other two groups,and microstructural abnormalities of the frontal medial orbital gyrus and middle temporal pole.The insular betweenness centrality was strongly inversely correlated with the severity of depression and dichotomized the two subtypes at the optimal cutoff value with acceptable sensitivity and specificity.CONCLUSION The LQS subtype may represent an MDD subpopulation mainly characterized by abnormalities in the biosynthesis of monoamine and amino acid neurotransmitters,closer associations with stress-related pathophysiology,and aberrant connectivity of the audiovisual perception-related temporal-occipital network,whereas the HSD subtype is more closely associated with hyperconnectivity and microstructural abnormalities of the limbicparalimbic network.Certain metabolomic and connectomic variables are potential biomarkers for TCM diagnostic subtypes which is perhaps an alternative classification for depressive disorders.

Outcome of the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine for functional constipation:A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Functional constipation(FC)is a common and chronic gastrointestinal disease and its treatment remains challenging.AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine(CHM)on efficacy rate,global symptoms,bowel movements and the Bristol Stool Scale score in patients with FC by summarizing current available randomized controlled trials(RCTs).METHODS RCTs with CHM to treat FC were identified by a systematic search of six databases from inception to October 20,2020.Two independent reviewers assessed the quality of the included articles and extracted data.Meta-analyses were performed to odds ratio(OR),mean differences(MD)and 95%confidence interval(CI)using random-effects models.Subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses were used to explore and interpret the sources of heterogeneity.The funnel plot,Begg’s test and Egger’s test were used to detect publication bias.RESULTS Ninety-seven studies involving 8693 patients were included in this work.CHM was significantly associated with a higher efficacy rate(OR:3.62,95%CI:3.19-4.11,P<0.00001)less severe global symptoms(OR:4.03,95%CI:3.49-4.65,P<0.00001)compared with control treatment,with the low heterogeneity between studies(I2=0%,P=0.76).CHM was also associated with more frequent bowel movements(MD 0.83,95%CI:0.67-0.98,P<0.00001),a lower score on the Bristol Stool Scale(OR:1.63,95%CI:1.15-2.32,P<0.006),and a not significant recurrence rate(OR:0.47,95%CI:0.22-0.99,P=0.05).No serious adverse effects of CHM were reported.CONCLUSION In this meta-analysis,we found that CHM may have potential benefits in increasing the number of bowel movements,improving stool characteristics and alleviating global symptoms in FC patients.However,a firm conclusion could not be reached because of the poor quality of the included trials.Further trials with higher quality are required.

Chinese medicine formulas for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Overview of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)affects more than one-quarter of the global population.Due to the lack of approved chemical agents,many patients seek treatment from traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)formulas.A variety of systematic reviews have been published regarding the effectiveness and safety of TCM formulas for NAFLD.AIM To critically appraise available systematic reviews and sort out the high-quality evidence on TCM formulas for the management of NAFLD.METHODS Seven databases were systematically searched from their inception to 28 February 2020.The search terms included“non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,”“Chinese medicines,”“systematic review,”and their synonyms.Systematic reviews involving TCM formulas alone or in combination with conventional medications were included.The methodological quality and risk of bias of eligible systematic reviews were evaluated by using A Measure Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2(AMSTAR 2)and Risk of Bias in Systematic Review(ROBIS).The quality of outcomes was assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment,Development and Evaluation(GRADE)system.RESULTS Seven systematic reviews were ultimately included.All systematic reviews were conducted based on randomized controlled trials and published in the last decade.According to the AMSTAR 2 tool,one systematic review was judged as having a moderate confidence level,whereas the other studies were rated as having a low or extremely low level of confidence.The ROBIS tool showed that the included systematic reviews all had a high risk of bias due to insufficient consideration of identified concerns.According to the GRADE system,only two outcomes were determined as high quality;namely,TCM formulas with the HuoXueHuaYu principle were better than conventional medications in ultrasound improvement,and TCM formulas were superior to antioxidants in alanine aminotransferase normalization.Other outcomes were downgraded to lower levels,mainly because of heterogeneity among studies,not meeting optimal information sample size,and inclusion of excessive numbers of small sample studies.Nevertheless,the evidence quality of extracted outcomes should be further downgraded when applying to clinical practice due to indirectness.CONCLUSION The quality of available systematic reviews was not satisfactory.Researchers should avoid repeatedly conducting systematic reviews in this area and focus on designing rigorous randomized controlled trials to support TCM formula applications.

Matching traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine-based research:Advanced nutraceutical development for proactive gastric cancer prevention

Gastric cancer(GC),the third leading cause of cancer-related death globally,is complex and heterogeneous.This review explores multidisciplinary investigations of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)combined with Western medical practices,emphasizing the development of nutraceuticals for cancer prevention.Using advanced analytical chemistry and food chemistry techniques,this study investigated how TCM components may be optimized for nutraceutical development.Focusing on molecular interactions with GC pathways,particularly the NF-κB,PI3K/Akt,and Wnt/β-catenin pathways,we examined the effects of TCM polyherbal formulas,extracts,and isolated compounds.These agents modulate apoptosis and cellular proliferation,underscoring their potential in preventive strategies.The convergence of nutraceutical and medicine food homology studies highlights a significant shift towards integrating TCM-derived compounds in a preventive health framework.This approach aims not only to enhance efficacy and reduce side effects but also to champion a preventive paradigm using personalized medicine to advance proactive health maintenance and disease prevention.The combination of TCM and western medical practices offers promising avenues for future research and practical applications in GC prevention.

Treatise of Acupunture and Chinese Medicine published in Italy

The publishing house UTET of Turin in Italy editedthe“Trattato di Agopuntura e Medicina Cinese”-“Treatise of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine”:the outcome of a long work of preparation.It’s the most ponderous work about acupuncture andChinese medicine that has been written hitherto in theWest:2 volumes of more than 1268 pages,more than351 plates (pictures),66 schedules and 36 colouredtables explaining the exame of the tongue.The treatise diffusely deals with all the Chineseknowledge proposing to the Italian medical public

Progress in clinical research on the integration of Chinese and Western medicines for treating primary liver cancer

Primary liver cancer(PLC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in China. PLC is characterized by insidious onset, rapid progress, poor quality of life, and short survival time. Notably, current treatment strategies remain unsatisfactory. Traditional Chinese medicines(TCM) have been used to treat a variety of diseases, including liver diseases, for more than 2000 years. In this study, we performed a review of the use frequency and clinical efficacy of TCM in treating PLC. Relevant literature from January 1, 2009, to January 1, 2021 was retrieved from network databases of China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI), Chongqing VIP, Wanfang, PubMed, and SinoMed. The most frequently used TCM and their efficacy in PLC treatment were summarized. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 33 articles were selected. Overall, the efficacy of the combination of TCM and Western medicines in the treatment of PLC was higher than that in the control groups(i.e. treatment with Western medicines alone)(65.11% vs.44.31%, P <.05). Among the 33 selected articles, 11 were investigated for TCM preparation(marketed drugs) and 22 for TCM formulas. In total, 102 types of TCM(single herbs) were used to treat PLC. The top five most frequently used TCM were Poria(14.71%), Astragali radix(13.73%), Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma(12.75%), Bupleuri radix(12.75%), and Glycyrrhizae radix et Rhizoma(11.76%). Of the 102 types of TCM, tonics were the most frequently used categories, followed by heat-clearing medicines, blood-invigorating medicines, and stasis-resolving medicines. Of 207 papers, 174(84.06%) could not be subjected to statistical analysis due to research quality. Further high-quality research on herb sources, formula components and dosage, toxicology, and ethics of TCM is necessary. In conclusion, TCM play a promising role in the treatment and management of PLC, although further investigations are warranted.

Artificial intelligence meets traditional Chinese medicine: a bridge to opening the magic box of sphygmopalpation for pulse pattern recognition

Artificial intelligence(AI) aims to mimic human cognitive functions and execute intellectual activities like that performed by humans dealing with an uncertain environment. The rapid development of AI technology provides powerful tools to analyze massive amounts of data, facilitating physicians to make better clinical decisions or even replace human judgment in healthcare.Advanced AI technology also creates novel opportunities for exploring the scientific basis of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and developing the standardization and digitization of TCM pulse diagnostic methodology. In the present study, we review and discuss the potential application of AI technology in TCM pulse diagnosis. The major contents include the following aspects:(1) a brief introduction of the general concepts and knowledge of TCM pulse diagnosis or palpation,(2) landmark developments in AI technology and the applications of common AI deep learning algorithms in medical practice,(3) the current progress of AI technology in TCM pulse diagnosis,(4) challenges and perspectives of AI technology in TCM pulse diagnosis. In conclusion, the pairing of TCM with modern AI technology will bring novel insights into understanding the scientific principles underlying TCM pulse diagnosis and creating opportunities for the development of AI deep learning technology for the standardization and digitalization of TCM pulse diagnosis.

The theory development of traditional Chinese medicine constitution: a review

Traditional Chinese medicine constitution (TCMC),as one of the most important parts of Chinese medicine theory,attracted the attention of more and more researchers and many research projects were conducted during past several decades in China's Mainland.This review provided a historic overview of TCMC theory and research progress in its classification,evaluation criteria and epidemiology,so as to give people through a different lens to understand human health.

Antidiarrheal properties of different extracts of Chinese herbal medicine formula Bao-Xie-Ning

OBJECTIVE： Bao-Xie-Ning （BXN）, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine （CHM） formula composed of Fructus Evodiae, Flos Caryophylli and Cortex Cinnamomi, and used for the treatment of infant diarrheal illness, was subject to systematic assessment for its putative multiple pharmacodynamic effects and pharmacological antidiarrheal mechanisms. METHODS： High-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-electrospray ionization- mass spectrometric/mass spectrometry was developed and validated for identification and quantification of the main constituents in different extracts of BXN. Male Kunming mice weighing 20 to 25 g were used for detecting the antidiarrheal activity of the extracts. Ethanolic extract （EE）, volatile oil extract （VOE）, and aqueous extract （AE） of BXN were respectively subjected to pharmacodynamic and pharmacological comparison in assessing antidiarrheal effects with senna-induced diarrhea, castor oil-induced diarrhea, acetic acid-induced writhing assay, and isolated duodenum test. RESULTS： The highest yields of three detected components of BXN, rutaecarpine, eugenol and cinnamaldehyde were observed in EE. EE showed the most remarkable antidiarrheal activity in dose-dependent and time-dependent manners in both senna- and castor oil-induced diarrhea models, and presented dose-dependent analgesic activity in acetic acid-induced algesthesia model. In addition, EE extract of BXN also exhibited strong antimobility action on the intestine and strongest depression on spontaneous contraction of isolated duodenum. CONCLUSION： Ethanol extraction is an efficient method to extract the active constituents of BXN. BXN extract demonstrated multiple pharmacological activities affecting the main mechanisms of diarrhea, which validated BXN＇s usage in the comprehensive clinical treatment of diarrhea.

Reporting guidelines of Chinese medicine:Current situation and future development

Objective:Reporting research is as important a part of a study as its design or analysis.Reporting guidelines(RGs)provide structured advice on how to report research studies clearly and adequately.This study aimed to review the development of RGs of Chinese medicine(CM)and to provide recommen-dations for improvement.Methods:Through a systematic search of the Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research(EQUATOR)Network and electronic databases up to January 1,2022,we identified a total of 15 RGs of CM,and further summarized their characteristics and applications.In addition,we reviewed the development of international RGs and analyzed its impact for CM.Results:Compared with the generic RGs,the reporting standards of CM have been rapidly developed over the last 10 years,of which 57%were issued in recent 3 years(2019-2021).Currently,the system of RGs of CM has been established,especially for clinical trials,including various CM interventions and covering the guidelines from trial registration,protocol,results publication to the evidence synthesis and clinical practice guideline.However,the application of RGs of CM is suboptimal.Conclusion:It is necessary to take further measures to promote practical application,improve journals’endorsement,and establish quality monitoring procedures for RGs of CM in the future.