TY - JOUR
T1 - Sulfur fumigation processing of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs
T2 - Beneficial or detrimental?
AU - Kan, Winnie Lai Ting
AU - Ma, Bin
AU - Lin, Ge
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Majority of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbs need to undergo post-harvesting processing to convert raw material into the form readily used for prescription. In general, processing procedures are either according to China Pharmacopeia or based on traditional methods. Recently sulfur fumigation is increasingly used to replace traditional sun-drying for its pesticidal and anti-bacterial properties in a cheap and convenient manner. However, to date information on effects of sulfur fumigation on herbal safety and efficacy are limited. This article addresses potential destructive effects of sulfur fumigation on herbal efficacy and safety through reviewing currently available information. Since recently increased numbers of studies have demonstrated that sulfur fumigation-induced dramatic changes in chemical profiles of various sulfur-fumigated herbs, consequent alteration of efficacy, and/or potential incidence of toxicity are suspected. Therefore comprehensive investigations on effects of sulfur fumigation on toxicity, chemical profiles, pharmacokinetics, and bioactivities of TCM herbs are timely to provide scientific basis for standardization and regulation of this currently common but potentially harmful processing method.
AB - Majority of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbs need to undergo post-harvesting processing to convert raw material into the form readily used for prescription. In general, processing procedures are either according to China Pharmacopeia or based on traditional methods. Recently sulfur fumigation is increasingly used to replace traditional sun-drying for its pesticidal and anti-bacterial properties in a cheap and convenient manner. However, to date information on effects of sulfur fumigation on herbal safety and efficacy are limited. This article addresses potential destructive effects of sulfur fumigation on herbal efficacy and safety through reviewing currently available information. Since recently increased numbers of studies have demonstrated that sulfur fumigation-induced dramatic changes in chemical profiles of various sulfur-fumigated herbs, consequent alteration of efficacy, and/or potential incidence of toxicity are suspected. Therefore comprehensive investigations on effects of sulfur fumigation on toxicity, chemical profiles, pharmacokinetics, and bioactivities of TCM herbs are timely to provide scientific basis for standardization and regulation of this currently common but potentially harmful processing method.
KW - Pharmacokinetic alteration
KW - Sulfur fumigation, TCM herb processing
KW - Sulfur fumigation-induced chemical alteration
KW - Toxicity of sulfiting agents
KW - Toxicity of sulfur dioxide
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84865960619&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84865960619&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fphar.2011.00084
DO - 10.3389/fphar.2011.00084
M3 - Article
C2 - 22207851
AN - SCOPUS:84865960619
SN - 1663-9812
VL - 2 DEC
JO - Frontiers in Pharmacology
JF - Frontiers in Pharmacology
M1 - Article 84
ER -