Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T22:57:08.577Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Research and future trends in the pharmaceutical development of medicinal herbs from Chinese medicine

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Kuo-Hsiung Lee*
Affiliation:
Natural Products Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7360, USA
*
*Corresponding author: Email [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Issues concerning the past and future development of medicinal herbs from Chinese medicine (CM) are addressed in this paper. In the Western world, medicinal herbs are becoming increasingly popular and important in the public and scientific communities. In contrast to their regulated status in China and other countries, herbal medicines are regarded as dietary supplements in the US. Accordingly, research must continue worldwide to identify and improve the efficacy of the active principals of herbs both singly and in combination – from active ingredients, active fractions, and active herbal formulations. While Western medicine currently employs pure, single compounds, either natural or synthetic, CM has long used multiple combinations of compounds in the form of processed natural products, primarily medicinal herbs, to treat and relieve the symptoms of many different human diseases. CM may have fewer and less severe side effects than single pure drugs, making CM especially attractive to the consumer. In effect, CM's focus on combination therapy does serve both ancient and modern theories. However, research using modern analytical and chemical techniques is needed to ensure efficacy and safety, to provide qualitative and quantitative analyses for dietary supplements, and to develop new, effective and safe world-class drugs. Drug design is an iterative process. Bioactivity-directed fractionation and isolation identify active natural compounds from single herbs or formulations. These lead structures can be chemically modified and improved through knowledge of structure–activity relationship, mechanism of action, drug metabolism, molecular modelling and combinatorial chemistry studies. Finally, efficacy and toxicity determination as well as clinical trials can contribute to the generation of new drugs from CM. To continue the legacy of CM, as well as the worldwide uses of other medicinal herbs, continued investigation of active formulations, bioactive fractions, and isolated compounds is critical to drug development in the 21st century.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2000

References

1Foster, S, Tyler, VE. Tyler's Honest Herbal: A Sensible Guide to the Use of Herbs and Related Remedies, fourth edtion. New York: The Haworth Herbal Press, 1999: 121: 143: 161: 272: 183: 331: 343.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2Lee, KH. Antineoplastic agents from Chinese traditional medicine and their analogs. In: Kinghorn, AD, Balandrin, M, eds. Human Medicinal Agents from Plants. American Chemical Society Symposium Series 534. Washington, DC: American Chemical Society/CRC Press; 1993: 170–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3Lee, KH. Scientific Chinese herbal medicine: research and movements toward worldwide acceptance. J. Food Drug Anal. 1997; 5: 233–4.Google Scholar
4Lee, KH. Recent new drugs discovered and developed from Chinese medicine. Biopharma Q. 1998; 4: 1215.Google Scholar
5Lee, KH. Antitumor agents 195. Anticancer drug design based on plant-derived natural products. J. Biomed. Sci. 1999; 6: 236–50.Google Scholar
6Lee, KH. Antitumor agents 188. Highlights of research on plant-derived natural products and their analogs with antitumor, anti-HIV, and antifungal activity. In: Cutler, SJ, Cutler, HG, eds. Biologically Active Natural Products. Washington, DC: American Chemical Society/CRC Press, 1999: 7394.Google Scholar
7Lee, KH. Antitumor agents 197. Novel antitumor agents from higher plants. Med. Res. Rev. 1999; 19: 569–96.Google Scholar
8Wang, HK, Lee, KH. Antitumor agents 176. Plant-derived anticancer agents and their analogs currently in clinical use or in clinical trials. Bot. Bull. Acad. Sin. 1997; 38: 225–35.Google Scholar
9Hosoya, E. The pharmacology of kampo prescriptions. In Takemi, T, Hasegawa, M, Kumagai, A, Otsuka, Y. Herbal Medicine: Kampo, Past and Present. Tokyo: Life Science Publishing Co., 1985: 5265Google Scholar
10Huang, KC. The Pharmacology of Chinese Herbs. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1993: 37.Google Scholar
11Hsu, HY. An Introduction to Chinese Medicine (Chung Kuo Yi Yao Gai Lun). Committee on Chinese Medicine. Taipei, Taiwan: The Executive Yuan Press, 1973: 48.Google Scholar
12Shibata, S Qualification of extract-preparations of Chinese drug prescriptions. In: Takemi, T, Hasegawa, M, Kumagai, A, Otsuka, Y, eds. Herbal Medicine: Kampo, Past and Present. Tokyo: Life Science Publishing Co., 1985: 2440.Google Scholar
13Wang, X, Sakuma, T, Asafu-Adjaye, E, Shiu, GK. Determination of ginsenosides in plant extracts from Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius L. by LC/MS/MS. Anal. Chem. 1999; 71: 1579–84.Google Scholar
14Terasawa, K, Shimada, Y, Kita, T, Yamamoto, T, Tosa, H, Tanaka, N.Choto-san in the treatment of vascular dementia. Phytomedicine 1997; 4: 1522.Google Scholar
15Sakakibara, I, Takahashi, H, Terabayashi, S, Yuzurihara, M, Kuba, M, Ishige, A.Effect of oxindole alkaloids from the hooks of Uncaria macrophylla on thiopental-induced hypnosis. Phytomedicine 1998; 5: 83–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16Xiao, PG. Traditional experience of Chinese herb medicine, its application in drug research and new drug searching. In: Beal, JL, Reihard, E, eds. Natural Products as Medicinal Agents. Stuttgart: Hippokrates Verlag, 1981: 351–94.Google Scholar
17Zeng, Q, Du, D, Xie, D, et al. Antitumor activities of indirubin derivatives. Chin. Trad. Herb Drugs 1982; 13: 2430.Google Scholar
18Imakura, Y, Yokoi, T, Yamagishi, T, Koyama, J, Hu, H, McPhail, AT. Antimalarial agents 5. Synthesis of desethanoquinghaosu, a novel analogue of the antimalarial qinghaosu. J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Commun. 1988; 5: 372–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19Imakura, Y, Hachiya, K, Ikemoto, T, Kobayashi, S, Yamashita, S, Sakakibara, J, et al. Antimalarial artemisinin analogs: synthesis of 2,3-desethano-12-deoxoartemisinin-related compounds. Heterocycles 1990; 31: 2125–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20Imakura, Y, Hachiya, K, Ikemoto, T, Yamashita, S, Kihara, M, Kobayashi, S.Acid degradation products of qinghaosu and their structure–activity relationships. Heterocycles 1990; 31: 1011–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21Wall, ME, Wani, MC, Cook, CE, Palmer, KH, McPhail, AT, Sim, GA. Plant antitumor agents. I. The isolation and structure of camptothecin, a novel alkaloidal leukemia and tumor inhibitor from Camptotheca acuminta. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1966; 88: 3888–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22Wani, MC, Nicholas, AW, Wall, ME. Plant antitumor agents. 23. Synthesis and antileukemic activity of camptothecin analogues. J. Med. Chem. 1986; 29(11): 2358–63.Google Scholar
23Johnson, RK, McCabe, FL, Faucette, LF, Hertzberg, RP, Kingsbury, WD, Boehm, JC, et al. SK&F 104864, a water-soluble analog of camptothecin with broad spectrum activity in preclinical tumor models. Proc. Am. Assoc. Cancer Res. 1989; 30: 623.Google Scholar
24Burris, HA, Fields, SM, Kuhn, JG, Von Hoff, DD. Camptothecins: dose-limiting toxicities and their management. In: Potmesil, M, Pinedo, H, eds. Camptothecins: New Anticancer Agents. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press,1995:113–21.Google Scholar
25Negoro, S, Fukuoka, M, Masuda, N, Takada, M, Kusunoki, Y, Matsui, K, et al. Phase I study of weekly intravenous infusions of CPT-11, a new derivative of camptothecin, in the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 1991; 83(16): 1164–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26Kawato, Y, Aonuma, M, Hirota, Y, Kuga, H, Sato, K.Intracellular roles of SN-38, a metabolite of the camptothecin derivative CPT-11, in the antitumor effect of CPT-11. Cancer Res. 1991; 51(16): 4187–91.Google Scholar
27Wang, HK, Liu, SY, Hwang, KM, Taylor, G, Lee, KH. Antitumor agents 153. Synthesis of novel water-soluble 7-(aminoacylhydrazono)-formyl camptothecins with potent inhibition of DNA topoisomerase I. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 1994; 2: 1397–403.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
28Liu, GT. From the study of Fructus schizandrae to the discovery of biphenyl-dimethyl-dicarboxylate. Acta Pharm. Sin. 1983; 18: 714–20.Google Scholar
29Liu, JS, Zhu, YL, Yu, CM, Zhou, YZ, Han, YY, Wu, FW, et al. The structures of huperzines A and B, two new alkaloids exhibiting marked anti-cholinesterase activity. Can. J. Chem. 1986; 64: 837–9.Google Scholar
30Han, YF, Chen, XY. Effects of anisodine and other cholinergic drugs on conditioned response of the hippocampal theta rhythm in rabbits. Acta Pharmacol. Sin. 1984; 5: 166–70.Google ScholarPubMed
31Peng, JZ, Chen, ZX, Chen, XY. Effects of anisodine on EEG and behavior of cats. Acta Pharmacol. Sin. 1982; 3: 7881.Google ScholarPubMed
32Yao, TR, Chen, ZN. Chemical studies on Erycibe obtusfolia. Bao Gong Teng. I: Isolation and preliminary study on a new myotic constituent Bao Gong Teng A. Yaoxue Xuebao 1979; 14: 731–4.Google Scholar
33Xiang, Z, Zhou, JE, Chen, ZN, Wang, LP, Wang, HN, Yao, TR, et al. Studies on synthesis of baogongteng A – a new myotic agent. Yao Hsueh Hsueh Pao 1989; 24: 105–9.Google ScholarPubMed
34Wang, CR, Huang, HZ, Xu, RS. Studies on the active principals of the root yuan-hua. Isolation and structure of yuan hua fine. Acta Chim. Sin. 1982; 40: 835–9.Google Scholar
35Wang, WC, Shen, S.Effects of yuanhuacine and yuanhuadine on in vitro uterine contraction in rat. Reprod. Contraception 1988; 8: 60–1.Google Scholar
36Liou, YF, Hall, IH, Lee, KH. Antitumor agents 56: The protein synthesis inhibition by genkwadaphnin and yuanhuacine of P-388 lymphocytic leukemia cells. J. Pharm. Sci. 1982; 71: 1340–4.Google Scholar
37Yagi, A, Fujimoto, K, Tanonaka, K, Hirai, K, Takeo, S.Possible active components of tan-shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) for protection of the myocardium against ischemia-induced derangements. Planta Med. 1989; 55: 51–4.Google Scholar
38Lee, KH, Morris-Natschke, SL. Recent advances in the discovery and development of plant-derived natural products and their analogs as anti-HIV agents. Pure Appl. Chem. 1999; 71: 1045–51.Google Scholar
39Boyd, MR. In: Neiderhuber, JE, ed. Current Therapy in Oncology. Philadelphia, PA: BC Decker, 1993: 1122.Google Scholar
40 Personal communications with Drs. Lednicer, D, Narayanan, VL and Mauger, A, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.Google Scholar
41Cragg, G, Suffness, M.Metabolism of plant-derived anticancer agents. Pharmacol. Ther. 1988; 37(3): 425–61.Google Scholar
42Keller-Juslen, C, Kuhn, M, Stahelin, H, von Wartburg, A.Synthesis and antimitotic activity of glycosidic lignan derivatives related to podophyllotoxin. J. Med. Chem. 1971; 14(10): 936–40.Google Scholar
43O'Dwyer, PJ, Alonso, MT, Leyland-Jones, B, Marsoni, S.Teniposide: a review of 12 years of experience. Cancer Treat Rep. 1984; 68(12): 1455–66.Google Scholar
44Issell, BF, Muggla, FM, Carter, SK, eds. Etoposide (VP-16): Current Status and New Developments. Orlando, FL: Academic Press, 1984Google Scholar
45Wang, HK, Kuo, YH, Schnur, D, Bowen, JP, Liu, SY, Han, FS, et al. Antitumor agents 113. New 4β-arylamino derivatives of 4′-demethylepipodophyllotoxin and related compounds as potent inhibitors of human DNA topoisomerase II. J. Med. Chem. 1990; 33: 2660–6.Google Scholar
46 Personal communication. The primary pharmacological and pharmacokinetic data of GL331 were provided by Drs J Chen and W Choy of Genelabs Technologies, Redwood City, CA.Google Scholar
47Wang, HK, Morris-Natschke, SL, Lee, KH. Antitumor agents 170. Recent advances in the discovery and development of topoisomerase inhibitors as antitumor agents. Med. Res. Rev. 1997; 17: 367425.Google Scholar
48Konoshima, T, Takasaki, M, Kozuka, M, Tokuda, H.Anti-tumor promoting activities of kampo prescriptions. II. Inhibitory effects of souseiryu-to on two-stage carcinogenesis of mouse skin tumors and mouse pulmonary tumors. Yakugaku Zasshi 1994; 114(4): 248–56.Google Scholar
49Takasaki, M, Konoshima, T, Yasuda, I, Hamano, T, Tokuda, H.Inhibitory effects of shouseiryu-to on two-stage carcinogenesis. 2. Anti-tumor-promoting activities of lignans from Asiasarum heterotropoides var. mandshuricum. Biol. Pharm. Bull. 1997; 20: 776–80.Google Scholar
50Sheng, J, Xu, J, Yang, J.Effect of breviscapin on plasma TXB2, 6-keto-PGFa, and platelet aggregation in experimental acute myocardial ischemia. Chin. J. Cardiovasc. Dis. 1995; 23: 53–5.Google Scholar
51Dong, FX, Wei, QA, Lin, XH. Effects of di-ao-xin-xue-kong on coronary heart disease with left ventricular function and hemodynamics. Nat. Prod. Res. Dev. 1995; 7: 35–8.Google Scholar
52Lin, HW, Xu, ZF, Zhao, L.The kinetic effects on blood flow of su-xiao-jiu-xin-wan and jiu-sin-tau. Chin. J. Integr. Trad. Wes. Med. 1995; 15: 46–7.Google Scholar
53Tanaka, S, Tajima, M, Tsukada, M, Tabata, M.A comparative study on anti-inflammatory activities of the enantiomers, shikonin and alkannin. J. Nat. Prod. 1986; 49(3): 466–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
54Honda, G, Sakakibara, F, Yazaki, K, Tabata, M.Isolation of deoxyshikonin, an antidermatophytic principal from Lithospermum erythrorhizon cell cultures. J. Nat. Prod. 1988; 51(1): 152–4.Google Scholar
55Konoshima, T, Kozuka, M, Tokuda, H, Tanabe, M.Anti-tumor promoting activities and inhibitory effects on Epstein-Barr virus activation of shi-un-kou and its constituents. Yakugaku Zasshi 1989; 109(11): 843–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
56Sheehan, MP, Atherton, DJ. A controlled trial of traditional Chinese medicinal plants in widespread non-exudative atopic eczema. Br. J. Dermatol. 1992; 126(2): 179–84.Google Scholar
57Bensoussan, A, Talley, NJ, Hing, M, Menzies, R, Guo, A, Ngu, M.Treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with Chinese herbal medicine: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 1998; 280(18): 1585–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
58Stermitz, FR, Lorenz, PL, Tawara, JN, Zenewicz, LA, Lewis, K.Synergy in a medicinal plant: antimicrobial action of berberine potentiated by 5′-methoxyhydnocarpin, a multidrug pump inhibitor. JNAS 2000; 97(4): 1433–7.Google Scholar