 One
of the most difficult tasks of manufacturing Chinese Medicine
is to ensure that the correct herbs are used. In recent years,
there exist a lot of "imitation" herbs on the market because
of a surge in the demand of Chinese Medicine. These "imitation
herbs", for a lot of instances, are herbs belonging to the
same family of the original herb but of a different botanical
classification. Without a proper knowledge of where the herbs
are coming from, it is extremely difficult even for a botanist
to determine the authenticity of the herb using Orthodox identification
method. If the wrong herbs are used in the manufacturing of
a product, the product could become sub-standard or could
even be harmful for human consumption.
Lingzhi is a particularly difficult herb to identify. There are at least over a hundred species of Lingzhi known worldwide. Many species are very similar in appearance and it is extremely difficult to pinpoint a particular species without some real authoritative knowledge plus major substantiation of where the herbs are originated from. Without a clear method to identify the herbs, most Lingzhi products on the market are not standardized products and therefore their qualities vary.
In collaboration with the Hong Kong Baptist University, PuraPharm International (H.K.) Limited assisted in funding a R&D project to research on new products using Lingzhi as the main ingredient. The research project is for a period of 5 years. After solid research and development, the joint effort has successfully developed a product using the cutting edge DNA fingerprinting technology (Random Application of Polymorphic DNA, RAPD). The technology involves not only DNA fingerprinting, but also an array of highly advanced techniques including TLC, HPLC, ESI-MS fingerprinting and animal studies.
Benefiting from the PURALINTM research, this newly developed authentication technology is also applicable to other Chinese medicinal products. This represents a major breakthrough in the modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The method can clearly identify a herb and its dominant components prior to the manufacturing process. This novel scientific approach which includes biological, instrumental and chemical analysis can also accurately verify whether the finished product contains the same components found in the original herb.
The finished product therefore contains clear markers that make the product unique.
PURALINTM is, therefore, the only standardized Lingzhi product on the market. With a standardized product, further clinical research work could proceed which may lead to the registration of the product as a drug overseas.
The standardization of Lingzhi product therefore represents a major breakthrough in setting a solid foundation for future research on the Lingzhi herbs. The company in collaboration with the HKBU is seeking for patenting the technology as a proprietary intellectual property.
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