Eisenberg et al. plants(see Appendix A)are some of the most commonly used in the CP and hence are estimated to represent approximately 75% of all plants used in routine TCM practice 5.1.1. Monograph summarizing relevant information of each plant-Monographs were written for each species included in the project. The goals of the monographs included providing a comprehensive literature review of the traditional uses, as well as a summary of recent information about experimental studies of each plant. In particular, it was envisioned that the monographs would be a useful source of information for screeners of the library Each monograph included the following sections: names and synonyms of the plant, collection and processing methods, therapeutic indications in TCM and western medicine, types of extracts, major chemical constituents, description of medicinal part of the plant, ontraindications, common preparations and inclusion in common TCM formulae, and selected references in the TCM and western literature. The monographs are included in the project database(see section 5.7) 5.2. Collection protocol Whenever possible, collection locations were selected from the region that is traditionally known for production of the plant species being collected. Additionally, each plant species was collected from three distinct locations in China separated by hundreds or thousands of miles and usually in different provinces, to ensure that at least one of these plants could meet the appropriate requirements of species identity, quality, and purity, including the absence of contamination by pesticides and/or excessive heavy metals. Plant collection consisted of three separate activities: environmental investigation, bulk harvest, and voucher collection The environmental investigation included a survey to ensure that the collection area was suitable and capable of yielding enough plant material for the project. The bulk harvest consisted of the harvest of the medicinal part of the plant at the time that the herb is traditionally collected. During the bulk harvest, each sample was collected to give a total of 10 kg dry weight. Following the bulk harvest, all herbs were processed according to the traditional method as specified by the CP. This typically involved the removal of impurities uch as other plant species or soil, followed by drying in the sun for a period of days or weeks. Lastly, vouchers of each sample, consisting of flowering or fruiting material of the plant, were collected according to standard protocols [34]. Vouchers have been stored along with a voucher of the bulk harvest medicinal part for future reference. The plant acquisition team, organized and overseen by BUCM co-investigators and consultants from HKB onsisted of at least one Chinese herbal medicine resource expert from each of the 30 provinces and autonomous zones where plant acquisition took place. In addition, a 34 person Beijing-based acquisition team consisting of faculty and graduate students of BUCM as well as 8 additional TCM botanical experts oversaw the quality control and processing of all plant samples collected. Authentication of plant species was overseen by a separate group of faculty with TCM ethnobotanical expertise at HKBU. All steps of plant collection were documented using a combination of standardized collection forms gPs data collection photographs, and video. (See Appendices B-E for examples of photos imported into studys 9 database). After harvest and processing, plants were authenticated and tested for quality(see sections 5.3 and 5.4) 5.3. Authentication and quality assessment The taxonomic identification of each plant was confirmed by multiple experts in China Plants were authenticated according to morphological and anatomical characteristics [35]by a team at HKBU and examined according to criteria listed in the CP for quality assessment at BUCM. The quality assessment tests were conducted according to the guidelines and standards provided in the CP 2005 edition [31]. The CP specifies the method for conducting elevant tests and provides standard reference values for results. In general, the quality Authoplants (see Appendix A) are some of the most commonly used in the CP and hence are estimated to represent approximately 75% of all plants used in routine TCM practice. 5.1.1. Monograph summarizing relevant information of each plant—Monographs were written for each species included in the project. The goals of the monographs included providing a comprehensive literature review of the traditional uses, as well as a summary of recent information about experimental studies of each plant. In particular, it was envisioned that the monographs would be a useful source of information for screeners of the library. Each monograph included the following sections: names and synonyms of the plant, collection and processing methods, therapeutic indications in TCM and western medicine, types of extracts, major chemical constituents, description of medicinal part of the plant, contraindications, common preparations and inclusion in common TCM formulae, and selected references in the TCM and western literature. The monographs are included in the project database (see section 5.7). 5.2. Collection protocol Whenever possible, collection locations were selected from the region that is traditionally known for production of the plant species being collected. Additionally, each plant species was collected from three distinct locations in China separated by hundreds or thousands of miles and usually in different provinces, to ensure that at least one of these plants could meet the appropriate requirements of species identity, quality, and purity, including the absence of contamination by pesticides and/or excessive heavy metals. Plant collection consisted of three separate activities: environmental investigation, bulk harvest, and voucher collection. The environmental investigation included a survey to ensure that the collection area was suitable and capable of yielding enough plant material for the project. The bulk harvest consisted of the harvest of the medicinal part of the plant at the time that the herb is traditionally collected. During the bulk harvest, each sample was collected to give a total of 10 kg dry weight. Following the bulk harvest, all herbs were processed according to the traditional method as specified by the CP. This typically involved the removal of impurities such as other plant species or soil, followed by drying in the sun for a period of days or weeks. Lastly, vouchers of each sample, consisting of flowering or fruiting material of the plant, were collected according to standard protocols [34]. Vouchers have been stored along with a voucher of the bulk harvest medicinal part for future reference. The plant acquisition team, organized and overseen by BUCM co-investigators and consultants from HKBU, consisted of at least one Chinese herbal medicine resource expert from each of the 30 provinces and autonomous zones where plant acquisition took place. In addition, a 34 person Beijing-based acquisition team consisting of faculty and graduate students of BUCM as well as 8 additional TCM botanical experts oversaw the quality control and processing of all plant samples collected. Authentication of plant species was overseen by a separate group of faculty with TCM ethnobotanical expertise at HKBU. All steps of plant collection were documented using a combination of standardized collection forms, GPS data collection, photographs, and video. (See Appendices B–E for examples of photos imported into study’s database). After harvest and processing, plants were authenticated and tested for quality (see sections 5.3 and 5.4). 5.3. Authentication and quality assessment The taxonomic identification of each plant was confirmed by multiple experts in China. Plants were authenticated according to morphological and anatomical characteristics [35] by a team at HKBU and examined according to criteria listed in the CP for quality assessment at BUCM. The quality assessment tests were conducted according to the guidelines and standards provided in the CP 2005 edition [31]. The CP specifies the method for conducting relevant tests and provides standard reference values for results. In general, the quality Eisenberg et al. Page 8 Fitoterapia. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2012 January 1. NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript