Salt processing: A unique and classic technology for Chinese medicine processing

Ajiao Hou; Jiahao Lv; Shihao Zhang; Jiaxu Zhang; Liu Yang; Hai Jiang; Haixue Kuang

doi:10.3389/fphar.2023.1116047

Salt processing: A unique and classic technology for Chinese medicine processing

Front Pharmacol. 2023 Jan 30:14:1116047. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1116047. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Ajiao Hou¹, Jiahao Lv¹, Shihao Zhang¹, Jiaxu Zhang¹, Liu Yang¹, Hai Jiang¹, Haixue Kuang¹

Affiliation

¹ Key Laboratory of Basic and Application Research of Beiyao, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Education, Harbin, China.

Abstract

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) processing is the summary of long-term clinical experience, processing can change the property, taste and meridian of TCM, achieve the purpose of reducing toxicity and increasing efficiency, to ensure the safety of clinical medication. This paper summarizes the research advance of salt processing in recent years from the aspects of the types of excipients, salt processing methods, salt processing purpose and the influence of salt process on the chemical composition, pharmacodynamic effect and in vivo behavior of TCM, and analyzes and discusses the shortcomings of the current research, so as to provide ideas for the further research and development of salt processing of TCM. The literatures were classified and summarized by consulting the scientific database (such as SciFinder Scholar, CNKI, Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, etc.), Chinese herbal classics and Chinese Pharmacopoeia and so on. The results show that salt processing is helpful to introduce drugs into the kidney channel and enhance the effect of nourishing Yin and falling fire. The pharmacological effect, chemical composition and in vivo behavior of TCM will change after salt processing. In the future, we should strengthen the research on standardizing the dosage of excipients, the quality standard after processing, the relationship between the change of chemical composition after salt processing and the enhancement of pharmacological efficacy, so as to deeply explain the principle of salt processing, and further improve and optimize the salt making process. By combing the influence of the of salt processing of TCM and analyzed the current problems, we hope to provide guidance for the in-depth study of the salt processing mechanism of TCM and the inheritance and innovation of TCM processing technology.

Keywords: chemical composition; in vivo behavior; pharmacodynamic effect; salt processing; traditional Chinese medicine.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81803690), the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province (No. LH 2 021H097), Heilongjiang Touyan Innovation Team Program, the National Famous Old Traditional Chinese Medicine Experts Inheritance Studio Construction Program of National Administration of TCM [NO. (2022) No. 75], Traditional Chinese medicine Processing technology inheritance base project, The Seventh Batch of National Old Traditional Chinese Medicine Experts Academic Experience Inheritance Program [NO. (2022) No. 76], the Innovative Talents Funding of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine (NO. 2018RCD25), the National Natural Science Foundation Matching Project (No. 2018PT02), Special Funds from the Central Finance to Support the Development of Local Universities, the Heilongjiang Postdoctoral Scientific Research Developmental Fund (No. LBH-Q16210), the Postdoctoral Initial Fund of Heilongjiang Province (UNPYSCT 2017219).