Researchers at the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology recently published the book Authentication of Valuable Chinese Materia Medica which has recorded the research study on thirty commonly used precious Chinese medicine that are widely used but easily confused.

In particular, the research team found that real cordyceps (冬蟲夏草) can be identified when accurate details of the cross sections of its stroma (子座) are available; quality of saffron (西紅花) can be ascertained by Liquid Chromatography (高效液相色譜法); and fakes of donkey-hide glue or Asini Corii Colla or Ejiao (阿膠) can be picked out with near infrared spectroscopy together with chemometrics clustering techniques.

Currently, researchers are also actively exploring the mechanism for Chinese medicine compound prescriptions in preventing elderly or chronic diseases. Details>>