Can Chinese herbal medicines bid farewell to the "hidden rules" of fumigation?

The sulphur fumigation of Chinese herbal medicines was originally used as a traditional method for sterilization and insecticide. However, under the drive of misleading markets and interests, it quickly became popular in the industry and became a “hidden rule” for everyone. Under the weight of public opinion, the State Food and Drug Administration recently issued the “Standard for Sulphur Dioxide Sustainability of Chinese Medicinal Materials and Its Pieces” and publicly solicit opinions.

Speaking of the sulphur fumigation of Chinese herbal medicines, Chai Xiangxin, a 72-year-old practitioner who has been working for several decades, is very sad. "Fumigation is very common. Now that some medicines are not smoked, they are smoked. The effect of smoking is not effective, and the sulphur content is particularly high. I am very sad when I am engaged in Chinese medicine."

Before his retirement, Chai Xiangxin, who worked in the Quality Control Department of Jinan Pharmaceutical Group, worked with Chinese herbal medicines for a lifetime and witnessed the decline in the quality of Chinese herbal medicines and the popularity of sulfur fumigation. "I give an example of gastrodia, Tianma this thing should not be historically smoked sulfur, it is a mycelium, is the M. sinica. At present, our market Gastrodia are almost unqualified, but there is no way."

The popularity of sulfur fumigation has historical reasons. In the era of declining storage conditions, it used to be part of the traditional methods of sterilization and insect killing of Chinese herbal medicines. For example, the 1995 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia contained sulphur-fumigated yams and achyranthes , honeysuckle, Pueraria 6 varieties of Chinese herbal medicines, until the 2005 edition of the "Chinese Pharmacopoeia" to cancel the yam, Pueraria and other Chinese herbal medicines sulfur fumigation process. However, in recent years, sulphur fumigation has long surpassed traditional means and exceeded some medicinal materials, and has become a commonly used "hidden rule" in the industry.

The accumulation of winds in recent years has not only pushed up the prices of Chinese herbal medicines, but has also contributed to the development of sulphur fumigation in the industry. According to Sun Hongsheng, director of the Department of Pharmacy at the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, normal shade storage can guarantee the quality of Chinese herbal medicines. The accumulation of Chinese herbal medicines is behind the scenes of sulphur fumigation of Chinese herbal medicines.

Sulfur fumigation has caused a strange phenomenon in Chinese herbal medicines. It was originally white or brown fritillaria, and the lily became transparent white. In fact, the sulphur fumigation changed the color of the Chinese herbal medicines, and the sulfur-containing Chinese herbs changed the medicinal properties and even the medicinal properties. The Chinese herbal medicines that cure the illness turned into “drugs”.

Sun Hongsheng, director of the Department of Pharmacy at the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said: “Sulfur fumigation results in some residual sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide can form sulphite from water, sulfurous acid and some salts can form sulphite, so it can be used in Chinese herbal medicines. The residual product causes some harm to the human body. It is mainly harmful to the respiratory system. You are like chronic rhinitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis, asthma and even emphysema, and some have a certain impact on the incidence of lung cancer."

With regard to sulphur fumigation, the media and the industry have issued their own voices. The CCTV has revealed the news that “Gansu fumigation of Chinese herbal medicines” has occurred. Many insiders have questioned that there is no standard for the detection of sulphur dioxide in Chinese herbal medicines. Under long-term, the State Food and Drug Administration has issued the “Standard for Sulphur Dioxide Sustainability for Chinese Medicinal Materials and Its Pieces”, and is now soliciting opinions. However, this standard can become a cure for "sulfur fumigation" this "hidden rule" medicine?

According to the "Standards," the final limits for the determination of sulphur dioxide in Chinese herbal medicines and decoction pieces are: Chinese yam, Achyranthes, Pueraria, Ganzi, Asparagus, Tianma, Trichosanthus, Baihe and Baiji. The limit of 11 kinds of herbal medicines and its decoctions such as Atractylodes macrocephala, Codonopsis pilosula and its decoctions should not exceed 400 mg/kg; for other Chinese herbal medicines and decoction pieces, the residual amount of sulfur dioxide should not exceed 150 mg/kg.

In this regard, some experts questioned the high standards. Sun Hongsheng, director of the Department of Pharmacy at the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said that it should still be possible to lower this standard. Some medicines do not have sulfur dioxide residue, and it is also now prescribed 150 mg. An industry insider of the Jinan Pharmaceutical Group expressed a more pessimistic attitude toward the “standard”. If they do not reverse the concept of “be white to be beautiful” for Chinese people’s consumption of traditional Chinese medicine, they will face no goods and no choice. .

The personage in the industry believes that to cure the “disease” of the sulphur fumigation of Chinese herbal medicines, it is necessary to start from the source. At present, the Chinese herbal medicines belong to the category of agricultural and sideline products, which results in great loopholes in the supervision of collection and processing links.

When the standard was introduced, it was the key to who performed it because it directly related to the actual effectiveness of the standard. One of the crippling facts that have to be faced is that there are not many organizations that currently have sulfur dioxide detection conditions and means. Taking Jinan City as an example, Jinan City's Institute for Drug Control currently does not have the appropriate testing capabilities as a professional organization for the inspection of pharmaceutical ingredients.

What makes people feel guilty and helpless is that if the relevant testing equipment and means are not available, the drug inspection department can only verify whether it has been suffocated by sulphur or not by testing the medicinal ingredients in the Chinese herbal medicines.

Fortunately, it is reported that Chinese herbal medicines in the Gansu region have been met with unanimous boycotts by the industry. Double-flowered Chinese herbal medicines such as Henan and Shandong have adopted mature drying techniques to replace the traditional sulfur fumigation process. All of these can be considered. As a positive sign of the quality of Chinese herbal medicines. Of course, we know that "Standard" is at best a good medicine, not an impetuous medicine. Only the government can pay attention to it, departments can cooperate, and policies and measures can be put in place to completely eradicate the chronic diseases of "Chinese herbal medicine sulphur fumigation". This old ancestor of traditional Chinese medicine remains. The national treasure will have a better tomorrow.