Traditional Chinese Medicinal Materials Research Articles

Genetic Identification of Medicinal Citrus Cultivar 'Local Juhong' Using Molecular Markers and Genomics.

The citrus cultivar 'Local Juhong', which has historically been used as a traditional Chinese medicinal material, originated in Yuanjiang County, Hunan Province.Its parental type and genetic background are indistinct as of yet. Morphological observation shows that 'Local Juhong' has a slight oblateness in fruit shape, a relatively smooth pericarp, a fine and slightly raised oil vacuole, and an inward concave at the blossom end. The tree form and fruit and leaf morphology of 'Local Juhong' are similar to those of 'Huangpi' sour orange. To reveal the genetic background of 'Local Juhong', 21 citrus accessions were evaluated using nuclear and chloroplast SSR markers and whole-genome SNP information. 'Local Juhong' was grouped with mandarins and sub-grouped with 'Miyagawa Wase' and 'Yanxi Wanlu' in a nuclear SSR analysis, which indicated that its pollen parent might be mandarins. It was closely clustered with orange and pummelo in the chloroplast SSR analysis. The genomic sequence similarity rate of 'Local Juhong' with mandarin and pummelo heterozygosity was 70.88%; the main part was the heterozygosity, except for the unknown (19.66%), mandarin (8.73%), and pummelo (3.9%) parts. Thus, 'Local Juhong' may be an F1 hybrid with pummelo as the female parent and mandarin as the male parent, sharing sisterhood with 'Huangpi' sour orange.

Zwitterion-Modified MXene Quantum Dot as a Nanocarrier for Traditional Chinese Medicine Sanguinarine Delivery and Its Application for Photothermal-Chemotherapy Synergistic Antibacterial and Wound Healing.

The nanomaterialization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has aroused widespread interest among researchers. Sanguinarine (SAN) is a kind of TCM with good antibacterial properties, which has important applications in anti-infection of wounds. Additionally, the combination of photothermal therapy and chemotherapy can overcome bacterial resistance, further improving bactericidal and wound healing efficiency. In this paper, we prepared an antibacterial agent by loading SAN on the zwitterion-modified MXene quantum dot nanocarrier (SAN@AHEP@Ta4C3), realizing pH/NIR controlled drug release and photothermal/chemotherapy synergistic antibacterial and wound healing. The particle size of SAN@AHEP@Ta4C3 is about 120 nm, and it has a good water solubility and stability. In addition, it also has excellent photothermal conversion performance (η = 39.2%), which can effectively convert light energy into heat energy under near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation, further promoting drug release and achieving bactericidal effects by synergistic chemotherapy and photothermal therapy. The in vitro and in vivo experiments show that SAN@AHEP@Ta4C3 exhibits an excellent antibacterial effect against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, and it can effectively promote the wound healing of mice. Moreover, the SAN@AHEP@Ta4C3 also has good biocompatibility and has no side effects on normal tissue and organs. This work introduces a multifunctional antibacterial agent based on TCM and hot-spot material MXene, which will have considerable application prospects in biomedical fields.

Similar neurotoxin expression profiles of traditional Chinese scorpion medicine material between juvenile and adult Mesobuthus martensii scorpions revealed by multiple strategic proteomics

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe Mesobuthus martensii scorpions, called as “Quanxie”, are known Chinese medicinal material base on the “Combat poison with poison” strategy for more than one thousand years, and still widely used to treat various diseases according to the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China nowadays. Aim of studyThe study aims to investigate the similarity of scorpion neurotoxins at the protein level between the juvenile and adult Mesobuthus martensii scorpions as Chinese medicine materials. Materials and methodsThe second-, third- and fourth-instar, and adult Mesobuthus martensii scorpions were collected for the characterization of neurotoxin expression through multiple strategic proteomics, including undigested scorpion venom, endopeptidase-digested, and undigested scorpion telson extract for the sample analysis. ResultsBased on the known 107 scorpion neurotoxins from the genomic and transcriptomic analysis of adult Mesobuthus martensii scorpions, the multiple strategic proteomics first revealed that neurotoxins exhibited more stability in telson extract than secreted venom. In the reported transcripts of scorpion neurotoxins, approximately 53%, 56%, 66% and 78% of neurotoxins were detected through undigested scorpion venom, the endopeptidase Arg-C-, Lys-C-digested telson extract, and undigested telson extract strategies, respectively. Nearly 79% of scorpion neurotoxins detected in third-instar Mesobuthus martensii scorpions represent the largest number of scorpion neurotoxins from proteomic analysis to date. Moreover, a total of 84% of scorpion neurotoxins were successfully identified at the protein level, and similar neurotoxin expression profiles in second-, third- and fourth-instar, and adult Mesobuthus martensii scorpions were first revealed by the multiple strategic proteomics. ConclusionThese findings for the first time demonstrate the similar neurotoxin expression profiles between the juvenile and adult Mesobuthus martensii scorpions as Chinese medicinal material, which would serve as a paradigm for further toxin analysis from different venomous animals.

Learning traditional Chinese medicine materials through playing.

Learning traditional Chinese medicine materials through playing.

Quality study of animal-derived traditional Chinese medicinal materials based on spectral technology: Calculus bovis as a case.

Calculus bovis (C. bovis) is a typical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) derived from animals, which has a remarkable curative effect and high price. Rapid identification of C. bovis from different types was realized based on spectral technology, and a rapid quantitative analysis method for the main quality control indicator bilirubin was established. We conducted a supervised and unsupervised pattern recognition study on 44 batches of different types of C. bovis by five spectral pretreatment methods. Three variable selection methods were used to extract the essential information, and the partial least squares regression (PLSR) quantitative model of bilirubin by near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was constructed. The partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model could achieve 100% accuracy in identifying different types of C. bovis. The R2 of the NIR quantitative model was 0.979, which is close to 1, and the root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) was 2.3515, indicating the good prediction ability of the model. The study was carried out to further improve the basic data of quality control of C. bovis and help the high-quality development of TCM derived from animals.

A Highly Sensitive and Rapid Colloidal Gold Immunoassay for Puerarin Detection.

Radix Puerariae is a traditional Chinese medicinal material with a rich history of use in East and Southeast Asia. Puerarin, a unique component of the Pueraria genus, serves as a quality control marker for herbal medicines like Pueraria lobata and Pueraria thomsonii in China, displaying diverse pharmacological properties. This study developed puerarin colloidal gold immunoassay dipsticks utilizing an anti-puerarin monoclonal antibody, resulting in a fast and sensitive detection method with a limit of 500-1000 ng·mL-1. Evaluation using tap water-extracted P. lobata and P. thomsonii samples showed consistent results compared to LC-MS analysis. Cross-reactivity assessments of puerarin analogs revealed minimal interference, affirming the dipstick's reliability for distinguishing between the two species.

Electronic eye and electronic tongue data fusion combined with a GETNet model for the traceability and detection of Astragalus.

Astragalus is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine material that is easily confused due to its quality, price and other factors derived from different origins. This article describes a novel method for the rapid tracing and detection of Astragalus via the joint application of an electronic tongue (ET) and an electronic eye (EE) combined with a lightweight convoluted neural network (CNN)-transformer model. First, ET and EE systems were employed to measure the taste fingerprints and appearance images, respectively, of different Astragalus samples. Three spectral transform methods - the Markov transition field, short-time Fourier transform and recurrence plot - were utilized to convert the ET signals into 2D spectrograms. Then, the obtained ET spectrograms were fused with the EE image to obtain multimodal information. A lightweight hybrid model, termed GETNet, was designed to achieve pattern recognition for the Astragalus fusion information. The proposed model employed an improved transformer module and an improved Ghost bottleneck as its backbone network, complementarily utilizing the benefits of CNN and transformer architectures for local and global feature representation. Furthermore, the Ghost bottleneck was further optimized using a channel attention technique, which boosted the model's feature extraction effectiveness. The experiments indicate that the proposed data fusion strategy based on ET and EE devices has better recognition accuracy than that attained with independent sensing devices. The proposed method achieved high precision (99.1%) and recall (99.1%) values, providing a novel approach for rapidly identifying the origin of Astragalus, and it holds great promise for applications involving other types of Chinese herbal medicines. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of organic fertilizer from traditional Chinese medicine residues on growth and soil microbial community of Salvia miltiorrhiza by metagenomic technique

Soil microbiome is a key evaluation index of soil health. Previous studies have shown that organic fertilizer from traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)residues can improve the yield and quality of cultivated traditional Chinese medicinal materials. However, there are few reports on the effects of organic fertilizer from TCM residues on soil microbiome. Therefore, on the basis of evaluating the effects of organic fertilizer from TCM residues on the yield and quality of cultivated Salvia miltiorrhiza, the metagenomic sequencing technique was used to study the effects of organic fertilizer from TCM residues on rhizosphere microbiome community and function of cultivated S. miltiorrhiza. The results showed that:(1) the application of organic fertilizer from TCM residues promoted the growth of S. miltiorrhiza and the accumulation of active components, and the above-ground and underground dry weight and fresh weight of S. miltiorrhiza increased by 371.4%, 288.3%, 313.4%, and 151.9%. The increases of rosmarinic acid and salvianolic acid B were 887.0% and 183.0%.(2)The application of organic fertilizer from TCM residues significantly changed the rhizosphere bacterial and fungal community structures, and the microbial community composition was significantly different.(3)The relative abundance of soil-beneficial bacteria, such as Nitrosospira multiformis, Bacillus subtilis, Lysobacter enzymogenes, and Trichoderma was significantly increased by the application of organic fertilizer from TCM residues.(4)KEGG function prediction analysis showed that metabolism-related microorganisms were more easily enriched in the soil environment after organic fertilizer application. The abundance of functional genes related to nitrification and denitrification could also be increased after the application of organic fertilizer from TCM residues. The results of this study provide guidance for the future application of organic fertilizer from TCM residues in the cultivation of traditio-nal Chinese medicinal materials and enrich the content of green cultivation technology of traditional Chinese medicinal materials.

Study on changes of Styrax varieties

Styrax is a commonly used imported traditional Chinese medicinal material in China. It was introduced to China in the Han Dynasty and was first described as a traditional Chinese medicine in Miscellaneous Records of Famous Physicians(Ming Yi Bie Lu). In this paper, by combing ancient and modern Chinese and foreign herbal medicine books and modern literature, combined with the results of field investigations on the origin of Styrax, the changes of Styrax involving the name, quality evaluation, origin, place of origin, and harvesting and processing were systematically verified. The results show that since ancient times, the origin and place of origin of Styrax have been unclear. The medical scientists of all dynasties in China have evaluated the quality of Styrax from four aspects: texture, viscosity, odor concentration, and color. The varieties of Styrax changed twice. The first change may have occurred during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and the base changed from Styrax officinalis to Liquidambar orientalis. The second change was in modern times, and the base changed from L. orientalis to L. styraciflua. At the same time, the place of origin changed for the first time, from Turkey, Syria, and other countries in southern Asia Minor to Honduras, Guatemala, and other countries in Central America and southern North America. This paper studied the historical evolution of Styrax in terms of quality evaluation, origin, place of origin, character, and harvesting and processing. At the same time, it summarized the application of Styrax in the western countries, which can provide a historical basis for the further development and utilization of Styrax.

Bioactive Components of Areca Nut: An Overview of Their Positive Impacts Targeting Different Organs.

Areca catechu L. is a widely cultivated tropical crop in Southeast Asia, and its fruit, areca nut, has been consumed as a traditional Chinese medicinal material for more than 10,000 years, although it has recently attracted widespread attention due to potential hazards. Areca nut holds a significant position in traditional medicine in many areas and ranks first among the four southern medicines in China. Numerous bioactive compounds have been identified in areca nuts, including alkaloids, polyphenols, polysaccharides, and fatty acids, which exhibit diverse bioactive functions, such as anti-bacterial, deworming, anti-viral, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects. Furthermore, they also display beneficial impacts targeting the nervous, digestive, and endocrine systems. This review summarizes the pharmacological functions and underlying mechanisms of the bioactive ingredients in areca nut. This helps to ascertain the beneficial components of areca nut, discover its medicinal potential, and guide the utilization of the areca nut.

Integrated microbiome and metabolomics analysis reveal the relationship between plant-specialized metabolites and microbial community in Phellodendron amurense.

Phellodendron amurense is the essential source of bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs), making it a highly valued raw material in traditional Chinese medicine. The plant's root secondary metabolism is intricately linked to the microbial communities that surround it. However, the root-associated microbiomes of P. amurense, as well as the potential correlation between its bioactive compounds and these microbiomes, remain poorly understood. Here, the metabolic profiles of root, rhizosphere, and bulk soils of P. amurense revealed the dramatic differences in the relative content of plant-specialized metabolites. A total of 31, 21, and 0 specialized metabolites in P. amurense were identified in the root, rhizosphere soil, and bulk soil, respectively, with higher content of the seven major BIAs observed in the rhizosphere compared with that in the bulk soils. The composition of the bulk and rhizosphere microbiomes was noticeably distinct from that of the endospheric microbiome. The phylum Cyanobacteria accounted for over 60% of the root endosphere communities, and the α-diversity in root was the lowest. Targeted seven BIAs, namely, berberine, palmatine, magnocurarine, phellodendrine, jatrorrhizine, tetrahydropalmatine, and magnoflorine, were significantly positively correlated with Nectriaceae and Sphingobacteriaceae. This study has illuminated the intricate interaction networks between P. amurense root-associated microorganisms and their key chemical compounds, providing the theoretical foundation for discovering biological fertilizers and laying the groundwork for cultivating high-quality medicinal plants.

Optimization of prediction model for personalized water pills based on semantic analysis of traditional Chinese medicine materials

This study aims to optimize the prediction model of personalized water pills that has been established by our research group. Dioscoreae Rhizoma, Leonuri Herba, Codonopsis Radix, Armeniacae Semen Amarum, and calcined Oyster were selected as model medicines of powdery, fibrous, sugary, oily, and brittle materials, respectively. The model prescriptions were obtained by uniform mixing design. With hydroxypropyl methylcellulose E5(HPMC-E5) aqueous solution as the adhesive, personalized water pills were prepared by extrusion and spheronizaition. The evaluation indexes in the pill preparation process and the multi-model statistical analysis were employed to optimize and evaluate the prediction model of personalized water pills. The prediction equation of the adhesive concentration was obtained as follows: Y_1=-4.172+3.63X_A+15.057X_B+1.838X_C-0.997X_D(adhesive concentration of 10% when Y_1<0, and 20% when Y_1>0). The overall accuracy of the prediction model for adhesive concentration was 96.0%. The prediction equation of adhesive dosage was Y_2=6.051+94.944X_A~(1.5)+161.977X_B+70.078X_C~2+12.016X_D~(0.3)+27.493X_E~(0.3)-2.168X_F~(-1)(R~2=0.954, P<0.001). Furthermore, the semantic prediction model for material classification of traditional Chinese medicines was used to classify the materials contained in the prescription, and thus the prediction model of personalized water pills was evaluated. The results showed that the prescriptions for model evaluation can be prepared with one-time molding, and the forming quality was better than that established by the research group earlier. This study has achieved the optimization of the prediction model of personalized water pills.

Investigating the multitarget pharmacological mechanism of Rhodiola wallichiana var. cholaensis acting on angina pectoris using combined network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Rhodiola wallichiana var. cholaensis (RW) is one of the traditional Chinese medicinal materials, which is used to treat angina pectoris (AP). However, the possible underlying mechanisms remains unclear. The aim of this study was to explore RW in the treatment of AP and to identify the potential mechanism of the core compounds. In this study, systematic and comprehensive network pharmacology and molecular docking were used for the first time to explore the potential pharmacological mechanisms of RW on AP. First, the relative compounds were obtained by mining the literature, and potential targets of these compounds using target prediction were collected. We then built the AP target database using the DigSee and GeneCards databases. Based on the data, overlapping targets and hub genes were identified with Maximal Clique Centrality (MCC) algorithm in Cytoscape, cytoHubba. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis were performed to screen the hub targets by topology. Molecular docking was utilized to investigate the receptor-ligand interactions on Autodock Vina and visualized in PyMOL. A total of 218 known RW therapeutic targets were selected. Systematic analysis identified nine hub targets (VEGFA, GAPDH, TP53, AKT1, CASP3, STAT3, TNF, MAPK1 and JUN) mainly involved in the complex treatment effects associated with the protection of the vascular endothelium, as well as the regulation of glucose metabolism, cellular processes, inflammatory responses, and cellular signal transduction. Molecular docking indicated that the core compounds had good affinity with the core targets. The results of this study preliminarily identify the potential targets and signaling pathways of RW in AP therapy and lay a promising foundation for further experimental studies and clinical trials.

Research practice and development direction of intelligent manufacturing of presonalized traditional Chinese medicine preparations

In recent years, as people's living standards continue to improve, and the pace of life accelerates dramatically, the demand and quality of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) services from patients continue to rise. As an essential supplement to the existing forms of TCM application, such as Chinese patent medicine, decoction, and formulated granules, presonalized TCM preparations is facing an increasing market demand. Currently, manual and semi-mechanized production are the primary production ways in presonalized TCM preparations. However, the production process control level is low, and digitalization and informatization need to be improved, which restricts the automated and intelligent development of presonalized TCM preparations. Presonalized TCM preparations faces a significant opportunity and challenge in integrating with intelligent manufacturing through research and development of intelligent equipment and core technology. This paper overviews the connotation and characteristics of intelligent manufacturing and summarizes the application of intelligent manufacturing technologies such as "Internet of things" "big data", and "artificial intelligence" in the TCM industry. Based on the innovative research and development model of "intelligent classification of TCM materials, intelligent decision making of prescription and process, and online control and intelligent production" of presonalized TCM preparations, the research practice and achievements from our research group in the field of intelligent manufacturing of presonalized TCM preparations are introduced. Ultimately, the paper proposes the direction for developing intelligent manufacturing of presonalized TCM preparations, which will provide a reference for the research and application of automation and intelligence of presonalized TCM preparations.

Fuling production areas in China: climate and distribution changes (A.D. 618-2100).

Through a meticulous analysis of ancient Chinese literature, this study comprehensively documents the geographical distribution of Fuling, a traditional Chinese medicinal material, during the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties spanning from the seventh to the twentieth century in China. Based on the contemporary distribution information of Fuling, we utilized the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model to simulate the suitable distribution areas of Fuling under both present-day conditions and in the future (2081~2100). The findings reveal that climate change has influenced the distribution of Fuling production areas. The shifts in Fuling's origin during different periods in ancient and modern times align with climate fluctuations and concurrent societal development. During the Tang and Song dynasties, Fuling primarily originated in northern China. However, it migrated southward during the Little Ice Age (LIA) and has recently shown a slight northward shift, in line with the climate fluctuations of the LIA and contemporary global warming trends. This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the changes in the distribution and production areas of Fuling over a 1500-year period, encompassing ancient, modern, and future periods. The results provide critical insights for adjusting Fuling cultivation areas in response to climate change and for further exploration of the mechanisms through which climate impacts the growth of Fuling.

DNA barcoding for the identification and authentication of medicinal deer (Cervus sp.) products in China.

Deer products from sika deer (Cervus nippon) and red deer (C. elaphus) are considered genuine and used for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) materials in China. Deer has a very high economic and ornamental value, resulting in the formation of a characteristic deer industry in the prescription preparation of traditional Chinese medicine, health food, cosmetics, and other areas of development and utilization. Due to the high demand for deer products, the products are expensive and have limited production, but the legal use of deer is limited to only two species of sika deer and red deer; other wild deer are prohibited from hunting, so there are numerous cases of mixing and adulteration of counterfeit products and so on. There have been many reports that other animal (pig, cow, sheep, etc.) tissues or organs are often used for adulteration and confusion, resulting in poor efficacy of deer traditional medicine and trade fraud in deer products. To authenticate the deer products in a rapid and effective manner, the analysis used 22 deer products (antler, meat, bone, fetus, penis, tail, skin, and wool) that were in the form of blind samples. Total DNA extraction using a modified protocol successfully yielded DNA from the blind samples that was useful for PCR. Three candidate DNA barcoding loci, cox1, Cyt b, and rrn12, were evaluated for their discrimination strength through BLAST and phylogenetic clustering analyses. For the BLAST analysis, the 22 blind samples obtained 100% match identity across the three gene loci tested. It was revealed that 12 blind samples were correctly labeled for their species of origin, while three blind samples that were thought to originate from red deer were identified as C. nippon, and seven blind samples that were thought to originate from sika deer were identified as C. elaphus, Dama dama, and Rangifer tarandus. DNA barcoding analysis showed that all three gene loci were able to distinguish the two Cervus species and to identify the presence of adulterant species. The DNA barcoding technique was able to provide a useful and sensitive approach in identifying the species of origin in deer products.

Unlocking hormesis and toxic effects induced by cadmium in Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua based on morphology, physiology and metabolomics

Traditional Chinese medicine materials (TCMMs) are widely planted and used, while cadmium (Cd) is a widespread pollutant that poses a potential risk to plant growth and human health. However, studies on the influences of Cd on TCMMs have been limited. Our study aims to reveal the antioxidation-related detoxification mechanism of Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua under Cd stress based on physiology and metabolomics. The results showed that Cd0.5 (total Cd: 0.91 mg/kg; effective Cd: 0.45 mg/kg) induced hormesis on the biomass of roots, tubers and aboveground parts with increases of 22.88%, 27.12% and 17.02%, respectively, and significantly increased the flavonoids content by 57.45%. Additionally, the metabolism of caffeine, glutamine, arginine and purine was upregulated to induce hormesis in Cd0.5, which enhanced the synthesis of resistant substances such as spermidine, choline, IAA and saponins. Under Cd2 stress, choline and IAA decreased, and fatty acid metabolites (such as peanut acid and linoleic acid) and 8-hydroxyguanosine increased in response to oxidative damage, resulting in a significant biomass decrease. Our findings further reveal the metabolic process of detoxification by antioxidants and excessive Cd damage in TCMMs, deepen the understanding of detoxification mechanisms related to antioxidation, and enrich the relevant theories of hormesis induced by Cd.

Integrated untargeted metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal OMT genes controlling polymethoxyflavonoid biosynthesis in the pericarp of Citrus reticulata ‘Chachi’

The dried pericarp of Citrus reticulata 'Chachi' (CRC) is commonly utilized in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and food consumption. Geqingpi (GQP), Sihuaqingpi (SHQP) and Guangchenpi (CRP) are TCM materials derived from different developmental stages of CRC pericarp, each possessing distinct medicinal properties. However, there is currently limited study on the active substances in these three stages. Metabolome data suggested that the discrepancies in flavonoid content, particularly polymethoxyflavonoids (PMFs), predominantly contribute to the variations across the three periods. Additionally, through multivariate statistical analysis, 7 potential biomarkers were identified and nobiletin (NOB) possessed the most significant contribution. O-methyltransferases (OMTs) play a crucial role to catalyze the formation of -OCH3 in PMFs. The analysis of transcriptome and genome data revealed the presence of 93 CrOMTs in CRC and 43 were expressed on pericarp. Further investigation identified that 28 of these genes were potentially responsible for catalyzing the biosynthesis of important PMFs such as NOB, sinensetin (SIN), and 3,3′,4′,5,6,7,8-heptamethoxyflavone (HEP). Our results may provide a new perspective for the study of GQP, SHQP and CRP, as well as the regulatory mechanism of PMFs in CRC.

Origin Identification of Poria cocos Based on Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopic Techniques

Poria cocos is an important traditional Chinese medicinal material. The quality and efficacy of Poria cocos grown in different origin places are significantly different. The purpose of this study is to accurately identify the origin of Poria cocos using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. The refractive index and the absorption coefficient spectra in the range of 0.4˜1.5 THz of Poria cocos samples from twelve provinces across China had similar change trends, with a little difference from the intensity. Combined with principal component analysis (PCA), the absorption coefficient spectrum was established to identify the origin of Poria cocos based on random forest (RF), radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) and convolutional neural network (CNN). The experimental results show that the RBFNN algorithm has the best identification effect among the 12 different origins of Poria, and the correct rate of the test set can be up to 98.2609%, which is higher than that of the RF algorithm (97.3913%) and the CNN algorithm (93.913%). Accurate identification of the origin of Poria cocos was realized with terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, providing a new idea and technical solution for the origin identification of Poria cocos.

The modern scientific mystery of traditional Chinese medicine processing——take some common traditional Chinese medicine as examples

The processing of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a unique traditional pharmaceutical technology in China, which is the most important feature that distinguishes Chinese medicine from natural medicine and plant medicine. Since the record in Huangdi Neijing (Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor), till now, the processing of TCM has experienced more than 2000 years of inheritance, innovation, and development, which is a combination of TCM theory and clinical practice, and plays an extremely important position in the field of TCM. In recent years, as a clinical prescription of TCM, Chinese herbal pieces have played a significant role in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 and exhibited their unique value, and therefore they have become the highlight of China's clinical treatment protocol and provided Chinese experience and wisdom for the international community in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic. This paper outlines the research progress in the processing of representative TCM in recent years, reviews the mechanism of the related effects of TCM materials after processing, such as changing the drug efficacy and reducing the toxicity, puts forward the integration and application of a variety of new technologies and methods, so as to reveal the modern scientific mystery of the processing technology of TCM.