Cultivation and Breeding of Chinese Medicinal Plants in Germany

Abstract

Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is increasingly used in Germany and Europe. Due to the need for herbal drugs of consistent quality and reliable supply, methods for commercial field cultivation and post-harvest processing under south German conditions have been developed for selected plant species used in CHM since 1999. The project used an interdisciplinary approach covering all aspects from seed sourcing to medicinal application. This paper describes the outcome of the agricultural seed and field experiments, breeding program, botanical and chemical characterization of the experimental material, comparison of experimental and imported herbal material with respect to their pharmaceutical quality, transfer of production methods and plant material to specialized farmers, medicinal application and, finally, information for users along the chain of distribution about the benefits of the locally produced herbal material.

Key words

plant breeding and selection - Chinese herbal medicine - agriculture - taxonomy - pharmaceutical quality - reproduction biology - seed multiplication

References

• 1 Ye K-Y. The illustrated Chinese material medica, crude and prepared. Taipei; SMC Publishing Inc. 1992
• 2 Bensky D, Clavey S, Stoeger E, Gamble A, Bensky L L. Chinese herbal medicine: Materia medica, 3rd edition. Vista; Eastland Press 2004
• 3 Hempen C-H, Fischer T. Guideline to Chinese herbal medicine (in German), 2nd edition. München; Urban und Fischer 2007
• 4 Anonymous. Chinese herbs – cases of death in Belgium (in German).  Dtsch Apoth Ztg. 2000;  140 115-116
• 5 Schmoltzi P, Scherges M. Mix-ups of Chinese herbs (in German).  Dtsch Apoth Ztg. 2000;  140 4094-4103
• 6 Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, English edition, Vol. 1. Beijing; Chemical Industry Press 2000
• 7 Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, English edition, Vol. 1. Beijing; People's Medical Publishing House 2005
• 8 European Pharmacopoeia, 4th and 5th Volume. Eschborn; Govi-Verlag 2002/2005
• 9 Bomme U, Gatterer M. Methods of germination improvement of medicinal and spice plants and their use on a few Chinese medicinal plants (in German, English abstract).  Z Arzn Gewpfl. 2002;  7 (special edition) 133-148
• 10 Heuberger H, Bomme U, Friedmann B, Groß J, Kabelitz L, Reif K, Schmücker R, Torres-Londono P. Quality of herbal raw materials for traditional Chinese medicine from Bavarian experimental cultivation compared to imported materials: identity, sensory quality, active principle content, purity (in German, English abstract).  Chin Med. 2008;  23 119-135
• 11 Heuberger H, Bomme U, Groß J, Kabelitz L, Reif K, Schmücker R. Constituent and extractives contents of selected herbal raw materials for traditional Chinese medicine from Bavarian experimental cultivation compared to imported materials from Asia (in German, English abstract).  Z Arzn Gewpfl. 2008;  13 173-181
• 12 Friedl F, Bomme U. Chinese medicinal plants for our farmers?.  (in German) Z Arzn Gewpfl. 1999;  4 159-160
• 13 Bomme U. Cultivation of CHM plants (in German).  Dtsch Apoth Ztg. 2005;  145 5604
• 14 Hummelsberger J, Bomme U, Friedl F. Chinese medicinal plants – German cultivation assures quality (in German).  Dtsch Ärzteblatt. 2006;  103 A1442-A1443
• 15 Bomme U, Bauer R, Friedl F, Heuberger H, Heubl G, Torres-Londono P, Hummelsberger J. Cultivating Chinese medicinal plants in Germany: A Pilot Project.  J Altern Compl Med. 2007;  13 597-601
• 16 Bomme U. A chance for better drug quality in CHM – workshop on documented and controlled cultivation of selected species for CHM (in German).  Z Phytotherapie. 2008;  29 194-196
• 17 Bomme U. Production manuals for plants used in the Chinese herbal medicine. http://www.lfl.bayern.de/ipz/heilpflanzen/16925/index.php Accessed October 6, 2010
• 18 Nögel R. Quality of Chinese herbal drugs from Bavarian experimental cultivation compared to imported materials (in German).  Chin Med. 2008;  23 107