建立台灣本土常用中草藥之基原鑑定與功效測試平台

楊寧蓀
中央研究院
近年來，"中草藥醫療"或歐美國家所謂的「另類醫療」已經愈來愈能夠為中/西方社會大眾所接受，以科學方法解釋傳統用藥理論、探討中草藥療效的研究也日受重視。但由於中草藥研究常面臨草藥種類紛雜、名稱混淆且經過加工炮製後會不易辨別種類等科技問題，致使中草藥的「種源」及「品質」往往是中草藥研究，發展及應用中經常且容易被忽視的一環。因此，系統化收集先進生物技術規範的特殊中草藥資料，進行基原鑑定，並與中醫藥專家交叉比對，以逐步確認特殊中草藥的品種、活性成分及相對應之“生物活性”，進而建立中草藥的良好農業操作之生產標準流程及規範，是未來中草藥研發工作重要的一環。本計畫主旨即在此策略上，建立一系統化研究平台，包括標的藥用植物之基原鑑定、化學指紋圖譜分析及指標成分分析，並以具體細胞學/分生學的生物活性（bio-activity）測試平台及動物實驗模式，以確定台灣本土常用之藥用植物之物種、化學指紋圖譜、活性指標成分並利用實證醫學驗證其活性，以提升本土中草藥之應用價值。中草藥種源一旦確定，此舉可避免「所種非所需」的亂象之產生。活性指標成分及化學指紋圖譜之確立，可進一步研究中草藥指標成分、生物活性等與藥草栽培環境之關係，從而創新「道地藥材及如何易地而種」之重要生技策略，生產具高指標成分且品質及功效穩定之中草藥。藉由此計畫及未來持續研發可建立中草藥從種植、採收、品管到活性的垂直整合系統，產生一套能提供功效好且品質穩定之中草藥的標準化栽種生產程序（Standard Operating Procedure），進而促使台灣本土中草藥能逐步具體地科學化，以確保民眾使用之安全，並有助於本主中草藥之發展。
關鍵字：台灣本土中草藥、基原鑑定、 活性指標成分分析、實證醫學驗證

Develop biotechnology platform for verification of germplasm and bio-activity/efficacy of medicinal herbs in Taiwan

Ning-Sun Yang
Academia Sinica
Chinese herbal medicines or the so called “complementary and alternative medicines” (CAM) in the West are increasingly appreciated and recognized for use in public health cares throughout the world. Government and industry-funded efforts on research and development have started to focus on using scientific evidence-based approaches to verify the medicinal efficacy, bio-activity or related pharmacological mechanisms. However, due to the issues/concerns and believe of the “aboriginality” of the specific medicinal herbal plant cultivars, the various R&D efforts on herbal medicines are often blocked from the confusion on the authenticity and representativeness of the medicinal herbs of our study interest. Furthermore, there is also the complex issues on post-harvest plant processing and storage, and the crude extraction of target plant tissues, and the “definition and employment” of related bio-activities. As a results, folk medicine practitioner, consumers, TCM doctors and researchers have often misused or abused the use of TCM plants, even resulting in poisoning or heavy metal contamination problems. Therefore, authentication of specific and correct plant variety and germplasms with a good and standard linkage of specific bio-activities to the correspondent authentic TCM plants is very critical, but often became a neglected issue in safe use of the public health and TCM research and development. The objective of this study is aimed to build a biotechnology platform for verification of the authenticity of germplasms and bio-activities/efficacy of Taiwan specialty medicinal herbs, by using a combinational approach of morphological/anatomical analyses, followed by molecular maker (eg., DNA sequence) authentication, and specific bio-activity assays. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and LC/MS profiling of secondary metabolites in test plants will also be analyzed to establish the relationship among their specific phytochemical marker components, “the efficacy” and bio-activity of test herbal cultivars/species and the specific aboriginal vs “adopted” cultural environments. Together, we believe that the systematic platform that we plan to develop in the present study will provide us with a useful approach for future biotechnology development of traditional herbal medicines in Taiwan.
關鍵字：Taiwan specialty medicinal herbs, molecular authentication, secondary metabolites