ENovate Biolife, North Wales, PA, USA.
Am J Ther. 2011 Mar-Apr;18(2):158-61. doi: 10.1097/MJT.0b013e31820e80df.
The role of traditional medicine in the well-being of mankind has certainly journeyed a long way. From an ancient era, in which knowledge was limited to a few traditional healers and dominated by the use of whole plants or crude drugs, the science has gradually evolved into a complete healthcare system with global recognition. Technologic advancements have facilitated traditional science to deliver numerous breakthrough botanicals with potency equivalent to those of conventional drugs. The renewed interest in traditional medicine is mainly attributed to its ability to prevent disease, promote health, and improve quality of life. Despite the support received from public bodies and research organizations, development of botanical medicines continues to be a challenging process. The present article gives a summarized description of the various difficulties encountered in the development and evaluation of botanical drugs, including isolation of active compounds and standardization of plant ingredients. It indicates a future direction of traditional medicine toward evidence-based evaluation of health claims through well-controlled safety and efficacy studies.
传统医学在人类福祉中的作用无疑经历了漫长的发展历程。从远古时代，知识局限于少数传统治疗师，主要依赖于全植物或粗药的使用，到逐渐演变成一个具有全球认可度的完整医疗保健系统。技术进步使传统科学能够提供许多具有与传统药物相当功效的新型植物药。对传统医学的重新关注主要归因于它预防疾病、促进健康和提高生活质量的能力。尽管得到了公共机构和研究组织的支持，但植物药的开发仍然是一个具有挑战性的过程。本文简要描述了在开发和评估植物药时遇到的各种困难，包括活性化合物的分离和植物成分的标准化。它指出了传统医学的未来方向，即通过进行精心控制的安全性和疗效研究，对健康声称进行基于证据的评估。
