Campus Digest

Research team wins award for innovations in Chinese medicine authentication

24 Dec 2019

Professor Zhao Zhongzhen receives the second prize of the International Award for Contribution to Chinese Medicine – Achievement Award in Medical Science in Fuzhou. Professor Zhao Zhongzhen receives the second prize of the International Award for Contribution to Chinese Medicine – Achievement Award in Medical Science in Fuzhou.
Professor Zhao Zhongzhen receives the second prize of the International Award for Contribution to Chinese Medicine – Achievement Award in Medical Science in Fuzhou.

 

A research team led by Professor Zhao Zhongzhen, Chair Professor of the Teaching and Research Division of the School of Chinese Medicine, received the second prize of the International Award for Contribution to Chinese Medicine – Achievement Award in Medical Science from the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies in early December.

 

Professor Zhao and his research team have developed an innovative authentication technology which is underpinned by a conceptual framework containing the four core aspects of traditional authentication methods. The four core aspects are the identification of the original plant, macroscopic identification, microscopic identification, and herbalism. The team has integrated the traditional method of microscopic identification with modern analytical chemistry to conduct tissue-based and cell-type-specific qualitative and quantitative analysis of the micro-components in Chinese medicines.


The team believes that the authentication of Chinese materia medica is essential in ensuring the safety and efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine, and that such authentication methods can ultimately foster the standardisation and internationalisation of Chinese medicine.