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Top-geoherbs of traditional Chinese medicine: common traits, quality characteristics and formation

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Abstract

Top-geoherbs used in China are always featured with high qualities, and they grow in specified areas with specific environment. Recently, researches on top-geoherbs have attracted increasing attention in China and other countries. In order to have a thorough knowledge of top-geoherbs, this article reviews the concept, historical evolution, common trait and quality characteristics of top-geoherbs, and explains the forming mechanism including genetic mechanism and environmental mechanism. In addition, it introduces the influence of human factors on the quality of top-geoherbs. Finally, it proposes some problems that should be paid attention to in the researches on top-geoherbs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China

    Luqi Huang, Lanping Guo, Chaoyi Ma & Qingjun Yuan

  2. School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China

    Wei Gao

Authors
  1. Luqi Huang
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  2. Lanping Guo
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  3. Chaoyi Ma
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  4. Wei Gao
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  5. Qingjun Yuan
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Correspondence to Luqi Huang.

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Huang, L., Guo, L., Ma, C. et al. Top-geoherbs of traditional Chinese medicine: common traits, quality characteristics and formation. Front. Med. 5, 185–194 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11684-011-0141-y

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