Open Access
CC BY 4.0 · Chinese medicine and natural products 2025; 05(02): e73-e85
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1809610
Review Article

Factors Influencing the Efficacy of Chinese Medicinals

Qichao Liang
1   Department of Pharmacy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
,
Yun Jiang
2   Department of Pharmacy, Zhengzhou Yihe Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
,
Liguo Liang
3   Emergency Department, Nanyang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanyang, Henan, China
,
Hualong Liang
4   Traditional Chinese Medicine (Zhong Jing) College, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
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Abstract

This paper thoroughly explores the multifaceted factors influencing the efficacy of Chinese medicinals and categorizes them into three main groups: medicinal related factors, patient related factors, and practitioner related factors. Regarding medicinal related factors, the place of origin, growing environment, harvesting time, storage conditions, quality control, dosage form selection, compatibility of medicinals, precise dosing, decoction methods, and administration routes all significantly impact efficacy. The place of origin determines the authenticity of medicinals, the growing environment affects their composition, harvesting time influences potency, improper storage leads to deterioration, quality control forms the foundation of efficacy, dosage forms and compatibility of medicinals affect absorption, dosing and decoction methods require precision, and administration routes should be tailored to individuals. Patient related factors include psychological state, individual differences, background, and disease condition. Psychological state affects treatment compliance, individual differences determine medicine responses, background influences patients' understanding of Chinese medicinals, and disease condition directly reflects efficacy. Practitioner related factors encompass theoretical knowledge, clinical experience, inherited practices, psychological state, and professional ethics. Theoretical knowledge guides medication use, clinical experience enhances efficacy, inherited practices influence prescribing styles, psychological state affects doctor–patient communication, and professional ethics ensure medical quality. These interrelated factors collectively influence the efficacy of Chinese medicinals, emphasizing the need for comprehensive consideration in clinical applications to achieve optimal therapeutic outcomes.

CRediT Authorship Contribution Statement

Qichao Liang: Conceptualization, and writing -original draft. Yun Jiang: Formal analysis, and writing-review & editing. Liguo Liang: Investigation, and writing-review & editing. Hualong Liang: Validation, methodology,and writing-review & editing.




Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 12. Januar 2025

Angenommen: 15. März 2025

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
27. Juni 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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