In 2023, the acreage of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs in Yunnan exceeded 10 million mu (about 666,667 hectares), ranking the first in the country.

However, for a long time, most Chinese medicinal herbs in Yunnan were sold as primary raw materials instead of stellar medicines.

In efforts to promote the high-quality development of its TCM industry, Yunnan has worked flat out to make breakthroughs in developing new products, improving production techniques and quality control standards.

A key laboratory of TCM clinical research in the province focuses on preventive treatment of diseases with the TCM, and carries out scientific research in the research and development of preparation products, optimizing production techniques and application of sci-tech achievements.

For a long time, the medicinal ingredients and mechanism of the TCM have not been fully revealed and confirmed. Hence, it is difficult to be accepted and recognized by Western science.

By scientific experimental means of modern medicine, the laboratory has gradually disclosed the mysteries of the TCM in pharmacology and molecular biology.

"Multiple groups have been established to make our basic scientific research experiments of the TCM, with each group having at least six biological duplicate samples, to ensure veracity and reliability of our scientific research experimental results," said Luan Yunpeng, director of the lab.

The accelerated fusion of the TCM with modern medical technology has also promoted its innovation and upgrading.

"This technology is called flow cytometry, which allows us to see the changes in the cell life cycle, such as proliferation and apoptosis. For diabetes, we can see the changes in the pathological process of insulin beta cells in their early stage and the repair effect of the TCM on them after early intervention. This is a very good example of integration of modern science and technology with the TCM industry," Luan said.

Through innovative research and technological application, the lab has improved both quality and efficacy of TCM products and has rolled out a number of excellent TCM brands.

In recent years, researchers with the lab have done a flurry of scientific research in the prevention and treatment of diabetes and metabolic syndrome, wishing to give full play to the advantages and role of the TCM to reduce the incidence of diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis and other diseases.

"Today, the cultivation of high-level TCM talents is no longer limited to observation, listening, asking, pulse-taking and prescription making. It also includes the mastery of scientific research and experiment skills of modern biomedicine and production of high-level scientific research results, to make our TCM brands better known around the world," Luo said.

China's Yunnan promotes high-quality development of traditional Chinese medicine via innovation