Recently, the General Office of the State Council issued the Opinions on Improving Chinese Medicine Quality and Promoting the High-Quality Development of the TCM Industry, proposing to “strengthen the inheritance and innovation of Chinese herbal processing techniques, and implement approval number management for special decoction pieces in accordance with laws and regulations”. This points the direction for the high-quality development of Chinese herbal processing.
Chinese herbal processing, as an important link in TCM, is ushering in a critical period of transformation from traditional experience to scientific, standardized, and modern approaches. In the future, the Chinese herbal processing industry should be policy-oriented, innovation-driven, quality-centered, and clinically demand-targeted, promoting coordinated development across all links in the industry chain, injecting new momentum into the prosperity of the TCM cause.
Policy Drive and Industry Status: The Inevitable Choice for Transformation
The high-quality development of the Chinese herbal processing industry is inseparable from policy guidance and support. The issuance of the Opinions makes clear requirements for strengthening the standardized management of Chinese herbal decoction pieces processing and promoting the deep integration of traditional processing techniques with modern technology, accelerating the pace of transformation from experience inheritance to scientific and standardized approaches in the Chinese herbal processing industry. Under policy drive, the industry is actively taking action, conducting in-depth research around toxic decoction pieces, traditional preparation decoction pieces, complex processing technique decoction pieces, and other innovative decoction pieces, striving for breakthroughs in quality safety and standardized supervision.
However, the current Chinese herbal processing industry still faces many challenges. Uneven quality is one of the main pain points in industry development. Traditional processing techniques mostly rely on master-apprentice experience inheritance, lacking unified standardized processes, making it difficult to guarantee the quality of decoction pieces from different batches and enterprises. For example, in the processing of toxic decoction pieces, the control of toxic components is not precise enough, directly affecting medication safety. Additionally, insufficient innovation is a major bottleneck in industry development. Many enterprises remain at simple replication of traditional techniques, lacking exploration and application of new technologies and equipment, leading to slow improvement in the overall technical level of the industry. Coupled with stricter supervision and higher approval thresholds, enterprises face greater pressure in adapting to higher compliance requirements.
Technological Inheritance Innovation and Standardization Construction: Building Core Competitiveness
Technological inheritance and innovation is the key to achieving high-quality development in the Chinese herbal processing industry. The industry should pay more attention to systematic research on ancient classics, emphasize the summary and inheritance of clinical experience, focus on key areas such as processing technological innovation and intelligent processing equipment, with the processing concept of “one core and three elements” (efficacy as the core, change, degree, and tool as three elements) and new processing ideas like “three suits” and “adaptability of medicinal properties”, combined with modern science and technology, propose a six-dimensional inheritance innovation model of “inheritance—principle—process—standard—equipment—quality control”, providing new ideas for the inheritance, innovation, and transformation of traditional characteristic processing techniques, and offering directions and guidance for the excavation, innovative research, and development of characteristic decoction pieces. Through systematic research, reveal the apparent-intrinsic correlation transformation rules of raw and processed decoction pieces in taste, quality, shape, components, efficacy, and medicinal properties, solving the difficulties in ancient processing techniques and variety innovation research and industrial development.
While innovating traditional decoction pieces processing, it is still necessary to retain the essence of traditional techniques, while combining modern technology to improve production efficiency and quality stability. Taking the fermentation process of Liushenqu as an example, through strain screening and fermentation condition optimization, significantly improve product batch consistency. At the same time, establish a process parameter database, optimize key parameters such as processing temperature and time through artificial intelligence modeling, and develop dedicated intelligent processing equipment to enhance efficacy. For example, the application of intelligent fermentation equipment and integrated water-grinding method equipment not only improves production efficiency but also effectively ensures product quality stability.
Standardization construction is an important guarantee for promoting the high-quality development of the Chinese herbal processing industry. In the future, Chinese herbal processing should establish holistic and specific quality control indicators and methods that reflect the characteristics of decoction pieces such as “different treatments for raw and processed” and “reducing toxicity and enhancing efficacy”. For example, for decoction pieces processed from toxic Chinese medicinal materials, clearly define the content control range of key indicators to ensure medication safety. Through in-depth research on processing mechanisms, explain the chemical and biological principles embodied in processing methods, interpret the changes in medicinal properties before and after processing, and provide scientific basis for establishing quality control indicators.
Market Expansion and Brand Building: Enhancing Industry Influence
On the basis of technological innovation and standardization construction, the Chinese herbal processing industry should actively expand markets, shape brands, and enhance industry influence.
In the domestic market, enterprises should strengthen cooperation with TCM hospitals and chain pharmacies, provide customized decoction piece solutions, and meet the needs of different customers. For example, develop toxic decoction pieces with toxicity reduction and efficacy enhancement characteristics for the clinical needs of TCM hospitals; launch portable, small-packaged traditional decoction pieces for the retail needs of chain pharmacies. Through precise positioning of product advantages, highlight safety, efficacy, and cultural value to build brands with market competitiveness.
In the international market, actively align with international standards, through EU GMP certification, US FDA filing, and other means, expand markets in “Belt and Road” countries, prove the efficacy and safety of decoction pieces through clinical data to gain international market recognition; traditional characteristic decoction pieces can emphasize their historical inheritance and cultural value, building “intangible cultural heritage craft” brands.
In brand dissemination, utilize new media platforms to spread TCM culture, build a “technology + tradition” brand image, and through short videos, live streams, and other forms, showcase the processing processes and cultural connotations of Chinese herbal medicines to the public, enhancing consumers' awareness and trust in Chinese herbal decoction pieces. At the same time, establish online consultation platforms to provide guidance on decoction piece usage, enhance user stickiness, and further elevate the brand's market influence.
Risk Response and Future Outlook: Leading Industry Development
The high-quality development of the Chinese herbal processing industry faces risks in technology, policy, competition, and other aspects.
Technological risks are mainly manifested in high innovation costs and long R&D cycles. Enterprises should increase R&D investment, establish technical risk funds, and diversify innovation costs. Through cooperation with universities and research institutes, establish joint laboratories to jointly tackle key technologies and reduce R&D risks.
Policy risks require enterprises to establish dynamic adjustment mechanisms, timely follow policy changes, optimize application strategies, make advance layouts, and ensure products comply with the latest policy requirements.
In terms of competition risks, enterprises should build technological moats through patent layouts and exclusive variety applications. Through applying for core process patents, protect technological innovation achievements; through developing decoction piece varieties with unique efficacy, form market differentiation competitive advantages; through artificial intelligence and big data technology, optimize processing techniques to achieve intelligent production processes; through R&D of energy-saving, environmentally friendly, and intelligent processing equipment, achieve green production processes, using the intelligent and green development of Chinese herbal processing as a drive to seize the industry's high ground.
Additionally, future Chinese herbal processing should focus on enhancing clinical effectiveness, explore the “decoction pieces + health services” model, and extend industry chain value. Combined with TCM diagnostic and treatment services, provide personalized decoction piece solutions to meet consumers' diverse needs for health management.
Chinese herbal processing is ushering in a critical period of transformation from traditional experience to scientific, standardized, and modern approaches. Through strengthening technological R&D, building standardized systems, expanding market space, and responding to risks and challenges, the Chinese herbal processing industry will inevitably play a greater role in the high-quality development of the TCM cause. (Director of the National Key Laboratory for Modern Chinese Medicine Creation from Classic Famous Prescriptions, Yang Ming)
Source: China Net of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Link: http://www.cntcm.com.cn/news.html?aid=273483
