Authentication is fundamental for the standardization and globalization of herbal medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has earned worldwide recognition for its efficacy. As TCM undergoes rapid globalization, the safety of Chinese medicinals is drawing international concern. Authentication is a key first step for standardizing Chinese medicinals for global markets and research. Authentication methods include origin identification, macroscopic identification, microscopic identification, physical/chemical identification, and molecular biological identification. Many issues related to authentication have remained unresolved since ancient times. Determining the authenticity and quality of Chinese medicinals remains as much a frontier as it is an essential science in guaranteeing the safety and efficacy of Chinese medicinals in clinical use. Authentication is directly connected to the clinical efficacy of TCM. This can be a matter of life and death in clinical practice and will almost certainly influence the fate of Chinese medicinals.

In the past 15 years, the School of Chinese Medicine (SCM) of Hong Kong Baptist University has laid a solid foundation in the field of Chinese medicinal authentication and has made a major impact at home and abroad in this capacity. As a center of international trade, Hong Kong is the source of many Chinese medicinal materials reaching international markets, and the quality of Chinese medicinals in Hong Kong directly reflects the status of herbal markets overseas. SCM will continue to make great efforts to promote Chinese medicinal authentication and the development of medicinal resources, which will in turn further strengthen the competiveness and influence of Chinese medicinals in the international community.