Integration of traditional,complementary,and alternative medicine with modern biomedicine:the scientization,evidence,and challenges for integration of traditional Chinese medicine

Traditional medicine has garnered significant global recognition,with an estimated 80%of the global population using it.Therefore,it is essential to fully understand the integration of traditional medicines into current healthcare systems.This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the standard process to modernize traditional medicine scientifically in the context of modern biomedicine,further termed here as“scientization”.Specifically,we aim to summarize the advancements made in understanding the efficacy,effectiveness,and underlying mechanisms of herbal medicine.We also examined the transition from experience-to evidence-based medicine during acupuncture.Furthermore,we explore the development of universal safety and quality control standards.Finally,we discuss international trade and export markets for Chinese medical products.The development and integration of traditional medicine have allowed it to further improve human health,resulting in a more comprehensive health solution for the global population.

Comprehensive effects of traditional Chinese medicine treatment on heart failure and changes in B-type natriuretic peptide levels: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Heart failure(HF),a common cardiovascular condition,is characterized by significant morbidity and mortality.While traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is often used as a complementary approach in HF management,systematic evalua-tions of its impact on clinical outcomes,TCM syndrome scores,and B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP)levels are lacking.This study fills this gap through a comprehensive analysis of randomized controlled trials(RCTs)focusing on TCM for HF treatment.It encompasses an assessment of methodological quality,a meta-analysis,and an evaluation of evidence quality based on established standards.The results offer crucial insights into the potential advantages and constraints of TCM in HF management.RCTs on TCM for HF treatment published since the establishment of the database were searched in four Chinese and English databases,including China National Knowledge Infrastructure,Wanfang,VIP Information Chinese Science and Technology Journal,and PubMed.Methodological quality was assessed for the included studies with the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool,and the meta-analysis and publication bias assessment was performed with the RevMan5.3 software.Finally,the quality of evidence was rated according to the GRADE criteria.RESULTS A total of 1098 RCTs were initially retrieved.After screening,16 RCTs were finally included in our study,which were published between 2020 and 2023.These RCTs involved 1660 HF patients,including 832 in the TCM group[TCM combined with conventional Western medicine(CMW)treatment]and 828 in the CWM group(CWM treatment).The course of treatments varied from 1 wk to 3 months.TCM syndrome differentiation was analyzed in 11 of the included RCTs.In all included RCTs,outcome indicators included comprehensive clinical outcomes,TCM syndrome scores,and BNP levels.The meta-analysis results showed significant differences between the TCM and CWM groups in terms of comprehensive clinical outcomes[risk ratio=-0.54;95%confidence interval(CI)=-0.61,-0.47;P<0.00001],TCM syndrome scores[weighted mean difference(WMD)=-142.07;95%CI=-147.56,-136.57;P<0.00001],and BNP levels(WMD=-142.07;95%CI=-147.56,-136.57;P<0.00001).According to the GRADE criteria,RCTs where"TCM improves clinical comprehensive outcomes"were rated as low-quality evidence,and RCTs where"TCM reduces TCM syndrome scores"or"TCM decreases BNP levels"were rated as medium-quality evidence.CONCLUSION TCM combined with CWM treatment effectively improves comprehensive clinical outcomes and diminishes TCM syndrome scores and BNP levels in HF patients.Given the low and medium quality of the included RCTs,the application of these results should be cautious.

Evidence and Potential Antibacterial Mechanism of Chinese Traditional Medicine Compounds for the Development of E. coli

Astragalus membranaceus (huangqi), Allium sativum (garlic), Cinnamomum cassia (cinnamon), and Dolichos lablab L. (white hyacinth bean) are the traditional Chinese herbs that were used in prescriptions in treating diarrhea caused by bacterial infection. These herbs are relatively safe for use and investigation. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Astragalus membranaceus, Allium sativum, Cinnamomum cassia, and Dolichos lablab L. on the metabolism of Escherichia coli (E. coli). The growth rate of E. coli was monitored under the influence of each herb, revealing that Astragalus membranaceus and Allium sativum exhibited significant antibacterial activity, whereas Cinnamomum cassia and Dolichos lablab L. demonstrated moderate inhibitory effects on E. coli growth. Further inhibition zone testing allowed for the evaluation of each herb’s potency and the number of generations required for E. coli to develop resistance. Additionally, the impact of the four herbs on the expression of outer membrane protein A (OmpA) in E. coli was examined by using qPCR. The findings revealed that Astragalus membranaceus acted as a sustainable bactericide by inhibiting the growth and metabolism of E. coli MG1655 through the suppression of OmpA expression. These results suggest that Astragalus membranaceus has potential as a natural antimicrobial agent for treating E. coli infections.

Guidelines for application of high-content screening in traditional Chinese medicine:concept,equipment,and troubleshooting

High-content screening(HCS)technology combines automated high-speed imaging hardware and single-cell quantitative analysis.It can greatly accelerate data acquisition in cellular fluorescence imaging and is a powerful research technique in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).An increasing number of laboratories and platforms,including TCM laboratories,have begun utilizing HCS systems.However,this technology is still in its infancy in TCM research and there is a lack of sufficient experience with the associated concepts,instrument configurations,and analysis methods.To improve the understanding of HCS among researchers in the field of TCM,this paper summarizes the concept of HCS,software and hardware configuration,the overall research process,as well as common problems and related solutions of HCS in TCM research based on our team’s previous research experience,providing several research examples and an outlook on future perspectives,aiming to provide a technical guide for HCS in TCM research.

Research progress on the anti-colorectal cancer effect of traditional Chinese medicine active ingredients based on ferroptosis

Ferroptosis is defined as an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death that is initiated by the toxic accumulation of lipid peroxides on cellular membranes.In the past decade,ferroptosis has aroused considerable interest in comprehensive treatment of colorectal cancer,mainly as it is a specific cell death mode that is mechanistically and morphologically differ from other forms of cell death such as autophagy,apoptosis,and pyroptosis,following by holding a giant potential for the therapy of colorectal cancer.Research has found that various active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine possess the ability of inducing ferroptosis in colorectal cancer cells through pathways such as lipid metabolism,iron metabolism,or cysteine/glutamate transporter system,which demonstrating enormous clinical therapeutic potential.In this review,the metabolic regulatory network of ferroptosis is introduced from the perspective of ferroptosis mechanism,and the information on the induction of ferroptosis in colorectal cancer cells by active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine is also be retrospected,which the purpose is to provide novel strategies for the anti-colorectal cancer therapy of active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine.

A systematic review of the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine retention enema in the treatment of ulcerative colitis

The objective of this study is to summarize the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)enema in the treatment of ulcerative colitis(UC).The randomized controlled trials on TCM enema intervention in the treatment of UC were searched in seven databases:PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,CBM,CNKI,Wanfang Database,and VIP Database from January 1,2013 to June 6,2022,and the data were analyzed using RevMan 5.3 software.A total of 18 studies involving 1514 UC patients were included.Meta analysis results showed that compared with conventional Western medicine,Chinese medicine enema had a significant effect on UC,and the clinical effective rate of the experimental group using Chinese medicine enema was 4.45 times that of the control group using conventional Western medicine(odds ratio=4.45,95%confidence interval[3.27,6.06]).Therefore,Chinese medicine enema is effective in the treatment of UC,and can significantly reduce related symptoms.

Analysis on the Changes of Research Hotspots in the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 by Traditional Chinese Medicine Based on Knowledge Graph

Objective: To grasp the changing trend of research hotspots of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, and to better play the role of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and other diseases. Methods: The research literature from 2020 to 2022 was searched in the CNKI database, and CiteSpace software was used for visual analysis. Results: The papers on the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 by traditional Chinese medicine changed from cases, overviews, reports, and efficacy studies to more in-depth mechanism research, theoretical exploration, and social impact analysis, and finally formed a theory-clinical-society Influence-institutional change and other multi-dimensional achievement systems. Conclusion: Analyzing the changing trends of TCM hotspots in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 can fully understand the important value of TCM, take the coordination of TCM and Western medicine as an important means to deal with public health security incidents, and promote the exploration of the potential efficacy of TCM, so as to enhance the role of TCM in Applications in social stability, emergency security, clinical practice, etc.

Traditional Chinese Medicine in colorectal cancer treatment:a bibliometrics study and visualization analysis via CiteSpace

Objective:To evaluate the current state of research and areas of interest for traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)in the field of colorectal cancer treatment.Methods:Related papers published between January 1,2012,and November 27,2021,were found using the Web of Science Core Collection Science Citation Index Expanded.Using CiteSpace's network map generation capability,we then determined the top writers,organizations,countries,keywords,co-cited writers,journals,references,and research trends.Results:This investigation yielded a total of 336 relevant papers.China is the most productive country.Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine is the leading institution.The journal with the most popularity and publishing volume is Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.The author with the most citations and centrality is Lin JM.The terms"epithelial-mesenchymal transition,""cell cycle arrest,""apoptosis,"and"autophagy"are highly frequent and have a high betweenness centrality.Conclusion:According to the results,research on natural products,traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)extracts,and the molecular mechanisms of TCM chemical constituents constitutes the primary focus within TCM cancer treatment investigations.In recent years,there has been a surge of interest in exploring the role of gut microbiota in TCM chemical constituents research,particularly in its ability to induce apoptosis and autophagy in tumor cells,thereby suppressing tumor cell proliferation,metastasis,and invasion.However,due to the intricate composition of TCM and existing technical limitations,the underlying principles guiding TCM's efficacy in treating colorectal cancer remain unclear and warrant further investigation.

Research progress on the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of autoimmune hepatitis

Autoimmune hepatitis is an inflammatory liver disease primarily mediated by T cell.It has not been fully elucidated about the pathogenesis,and it is presently thought to be related to genetic susceptibility,infection and environmental triggers,and abnormal autoimmune regulation.Recent studies have found that traditional Chinese medicine can improve the biochemical indicators and clinical symptoms of patients with autoimmune hepatitis.This article reviews the specific mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine on treating autoimmune hepatitis in order to propose new ideas for its clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Comprehensive Rehabilitation Therapy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Combined with Modern Rehabilitation Training Improves the Spasticity and Motor Function of Hemiplegia after Stroke

Objective:To analyze the impact of comprehensive rehabilitation therapy of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)(based on modern rehabilitation training)on the spasticity and motor function in stroke patients with hemiplegia.Methods:Seventy-nine stroke and hemiplegia patients admitted to the hospital from June 2021 to June 2023 were selected and randomly divided into a control group(39 cases)using modern rehabilitation training,and an observation group combined with comprehensive TCM rehabilitation therapy(40 cases),over 1 month.The clinical index data of the two groups were compared.Results:There were differences in the clinical index data between the two groups.The total effective rate after 2 treatment in the observation group(92.50%)was higher than that of the control group(74.36%)(χ^(2)=4.727,P<0.05).All central sensitization inventory(CSI)and stroke quality of life(PRO)scores in both groups were lower after treatment,with the observation group having lower scores as compared to the control group(P<0.05).The scores of FMA(upper limbs,lower limbs),Barthel index scores,and Functional Ambulation Categories(FAC)scores of both groups increased after treatment,with the observation group having higher scores as compared to the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Comprehensive TCM rehabilitation therapy had a significant therapeutic effect on patients with hemiplegia after stroke.It improved the patient’s spasticity,limb movement,and walking function.Their daily living abilities and quality of life were also enhanced.

A Brief Discussion on the Construction of Practical Teaching System for the Traditional Chinese Medicine Resources and Development Major

China’s traditional medicine,science,and technology industry has great development potential.However,there is a problem of insufficient practitioners in the current industrial development.At the same time,the capabilities of existing practitioners do not match the demand standards.Therefore,it is necessary to actively promote the education of resources and development in Central Asia.As an institution for cultivating talents,colleges and universities must establish a practical teaching system for cultivating talents.Based on the requirements put forward by China in education,this article studies the development status of the traditional Chinese medicine resources and development major,determines the talent training goals,starts from the practical teaching aspect,and locates the industry’s requirements for the capabilities of personnel in the field of traditional Chinese medicine.It also puts forward the overall idea of the construction of the practical teaching system,summarizes the reform content of the practical teaching system,and lastly provides the specific path of the reform.

Chinese traditional medicine for induction of ovulation

This is a review paper of some effective recipes of Chinese traditional medicine usedin ovulation induction and treatment of gynecological diseases. Some clinical results bygynecologists using Chinese traditional medicine in combination with western medicineand results from research on traditional medicine with modern technology are presented.A list of frequently used traditional medicine for ovulation induction are selected from the famous Compendium of Materica Medica(本草纲目)by Li Shi-zhen(李时珍).

Study on the functional liquid of Chinese traditional medicine in anti-anoxic effect

A kind of functional liquid was extracted from compound Chinese traditional medicine over 20 different varieties such as ginseng, danggui and so on. The anti-anoxic effects were observed by the ways of oxygen lack in normal atmosphere of mice, decapitation and erythrocyte count and hemoglobin in the mice. Experiments done in this study included observing the best dose and the best time of appearing anti-anoxic effects in mice. Results were found that the functional liquid could prolong not only the survival time and the brain survival time of the mouse, but also increasing the number of erythrocytes (RBC) and the content of hemoglobin (Hb); and the functional liquid has markedly protecting cardio-cerebral function; If the dosage of the functional liquid control on the 0.3ml/day for each mouse, the best effects should appear after four hour. And the functional liquid had no obvious effect on the weight of the mice within thirty days.

Varieties of Chinese Traditional Medicines Protected by the State (Part One)

Approved by the Ministry of Public Health,the following Medicines,producedby the named enterprises,are listed as varieties of Chinese traditionalmedicines that are protected by the state.

Etiological analysis of chloasma from view of Western and Chinese traditional medicine

Chloasma is a common and refractory skin disease,which is a discosmetic dermatosis in which pigment is deposited on the face,cheeks,forehead and other parts due to the pigment metabolism disorder.It is manifested as facial yellow-brown patches,with different shades,different shapes,and often symmetrically distributed.The prevalence rate of chloasma is still increasing year by year,which reflects the physical and mental health of women.Because the cause of disease is unknown,and at present there is no uniform treatment.This paper discusses the etiology of chloasma from modern medicine and traditional Chinese medicine to provide reference for clinical therapy.

Hepar Fule Tablets——Chinese Traditional Medicine for Antihepatic Cancer

Hepar Fule tablets, approved by the Ministry of Public Health. are produced solely by the Lengshijiang Medicine Factory, Hunan province. They were invented by Doctor Pan Minqiu, a famous expert in hepatic diseases and cancer, after a dozen years’ painstaking research. They are made, based on a reasonable prescription, advanced technology and strict quality control from 21 Chinese medicines, including radix codonopsis pilosulae,

A Patient with End-stage Respiratory Failure Gets Recovery from Mechanical Ventilation by Utilization of Chinese Traditional Medicine

Ventilator-assisted ventilation and lung transplantation are the final treatments for the patients with end-stage respiratory failure.A patient,who has been diagnosed as end-stage respiratory failure and received tracheal intubation with mechanical ventilation,received the treatment of Chinese herbal medicine on the principle of TCM and got some recovery gradually.After two months,the patient got rid of mechanical ventilation successfully.This case implies that TCM will be an alternative treatment for the patients with the similar conditions.

The Inheritance and Development of Chinese Narrative Medicine Practice to the Philosophical Wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Starting from the inheritance and promotion of Chinese life philosophy and traditional Chinese medicine wisdom by Chinese narrative medicine practice,this paper discusses the inheritance and echo relationship between the“close textual reading ability”in Chinese narrative medicine practice and the“four diagnoses”in traditional Chinese medicine wisdom,narrative mediation and the“mind-body holistic philosophy”in traditional Chinese medicine,and narrative wisdom and Dao Sheng in Chinese life philosophy.Meanwhile,by analyzing the stories of contemporary doctors’practice of narrative intelligence,this paper expounds that Chinese narrative medicine is a new model of medical education and clinical practice based on the absorption of Chinese traditional life wisdom and the essence of traditional Chinese medicine culture,and the integration of western narrative medicine concepts.It also advocates Chinese scholars to actively build the discipline of“narrative traditional Chinese medicine,”constantly translate the academic achievements to foreign countries,and create a good narrative ecology of traditional Chinese medicine.

Annual advances of Chinese minority traditional medicine in 2019

Traditional medicine systems practiced by various ethnic minorities represent an important part of traditional Chinese medicine.The past 12 months have witnessed extensive research pertaining to different Chinese minority traditional medicine(CMTM).The annual CMTM review evaluates research published during 2019 in different CMTM including Tibetan medicine,Uyghur medicine,Mongolian medicine,Korean medicine and Zhuang medicine.Research in the field of Tibetan medicine focused on pharmacology,pharmacy,plant sciences,medicinal chemistry and integrated complementary medicine and the top three countries were China,USA and India.Research in Uyghur medicine mainly pertained to chemistry,pharmacology,pharmacy,and food science technology and the publications were mainly from China.Research in Mongolian medicine mainly pertained to pharmacology,pharmacy,analytical chemistry,biochemistry,molecular biology and experimental research;the publications were mainly from China and Mongolia.In short,research related to traditional medicine of various ethnic minorities was mainly conducted in China and the neighboring countries.The research focus for each minority medicine is essentially on the effects and mechanisms of action of the active ingredients of the ethnodrugs and the special prescriptions or therapies.The generated evidence will facilitate further developments in this field.