Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Overview of Taiwan’s indigenous ethnopharmacology in the perspective of traditional knowledge protection

  • Academic Exploration
  • Published:
Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Ethnopharmacology, the study of ethnic use of drugs, opens up the crucial gateway to understanding and promoting traditional medicine in the new age. Taiwan is a unique region where traditional medicine and herbal therapeutics have been benefiting its people of multiple races for centuries. This article overviews Taiwan’s indigenous traditional medicine and the emerging status of ethnopharmacology study, and outlines the global scenario of the inheritance and development of traditional medicine. In such a scope of knowledge protection, this article particularly highlights the challenges with bioprospecting and biopiracy, and summarizes the current measures for protection of traditional knowledge in Taiwan. Finally, based upon these analyses, we propose rational strategies for promoting Taiwan’s ethnopharmacology, from multiple angles of resource, economy, policy and law. We conclude that four measures, namely (1) protecting the natural environment of biodiversity, (2) avoiding unnecessary conflicts caused by bioprospecting and biopiracy, (3) strengthening the international collaboration, and (4) upgrading the legal system of traditional intelligence, would be the right paths for Taiwan to protect its invaluable heritage of traditional medicine and the knowledge of ethnopharmacology therein.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Reyes-Garcia V. The relevance of traditional knowledge systems for ethnopharmacological research: theoretical and methodological contributions. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2010;6:32–36.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Xu H, Chen KJ. Complementary and alternative medicine: is it possible to be mainstream? Chin J Integr Med 2012;18:403–404.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Dutfield G. Protecting traditional knowledge: pathways to the future. ICTSD Prog IPR Sust Dev 2006;3–4.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Tsai C. Traditional knowledge protection of indigenous people. Taiwan Indig Stud Rev 2007;2:1–26.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Tong Y, He W, Zhao Y. World Health Organization Traditional Medicine Policy Review. Chin J Inf Tradit Chin Med (Chin) 2010;17:2–3.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Wang JH. Traditional Chinese medicine and the positive correlation with homeostatic evolution of human being: based on medical perspective. Chin J Integr Med 2012;18:629–634.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Tian P. Convergence: where West meets East. Nature 2011;480:84–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Nalawade SM, Sagare AP, Lee CY, Kao CL, Tsay HS. Studies on tissue culture of Chinese medicinal plant resources in Taiwan and their sustainable utilization. Bot Bull Acad Sin 2003;44:79–98.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Namba T. Current research on traditional medicines and an introduction of ethnopharmacology. J Chin Med 1996;7:59–72.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Xue TH. Trusting in traditional cures. Nature 1996;379:110.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Liang M, Liu Y, Ananda S, Zhuo L, Liu L. Toxicology of Dysosma versipallis rhizome: a review. J Med Plant Res 2010;4:717–721.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Ranilla LG, Kwon YI, Apostolidis E, Shetty K. Phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity and in vitro inhibitory potential against key enzymes relevant for hyperglycemia and hypertension of commonly used medicinal plants, herbs and spices in Latin America. Bioresour Technol 2010;101:4676–4689.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Ham I, Lee SJ, Kim H, Kang IH, Jin HO, Whang WK. Standardization and seasonal variation of quercetin glycoside in Eucommiae folium. Kor J Pharmacog 2002;33:194–199.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Elly D. A Chinese herbal formula for relief of asthma? Focus Altern Complement Ther 2005;10:189–191.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Tamaki A, Ide T, Otsuka H. Phenolic glycosides from the leaves of Alangium platanifolium var. platanifolium. J Nat Prod 2000;63:1417–1419.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Shen YX, Teng HL, Yang GZ, Mei ZN, Chen XL. A new chromone derivative from Berchemia lineate. Acta Pharm Sin 2010;45:1139–1143.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Broughton A. An overview of Yellow Card reporting by NIMH practitioners. J Herb Med 2011;1:15–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Heinrich M, Chan J, Wanke S, Neinhuis C, Simmonds M. Local uses of Aristolochia species and content of nephrotoxic aristolochic acid 1 and 2—a global assessment based on bibliographic sources. J Ethnopharmacol 2009;125:108–144.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Sharma HK, Kumar A. Evaluation of total phenol, flavonoid and in vitro antioxidant activity of methanolic extract of leaves of Melastoma malabathricum linn. Asian J Chem 2011;23:434–438.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Pieroni A, Dibra B, Grishaj G, Grishaj I, Maçai SG. Traditional phytotherapy of the Albanians of Lepushe, Northern Albanian Alps. Fitoterapia 2005;76:379–399.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Ho SC, Ho YF, Lai TH, Liu TH, Su SY, Wu RY. Effect of Tianma Gouteng Decoction with subtractive ingredients and its active constituents on memory acquisition. Am J Chin Med 2008;36:593–602.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Sun Q, Shao FX, Li JJ, Wang J, Kou JP, Yu BY. Advances in studies on active components modulating tissue factor in Chinese materia medica. Chin Tradit Herb Drugs (Chin) 2010;41:488–491.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Cheung F. Traditional Chinese medicine: made in China. Nature 2011;480:82–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Castree N. Bioprospecting: from theory to practice (and back again). Trans Inst Br Geogr 2003;28:35–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Greene S. Indigenous people incorporated? Culture as politics, culture as property in pharmaceutical bioprospecting. Curr Anthropol 2004;45:211–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Kuo WHJ. A preliminary study on the protection of traditional knowledge. Tsing Hua J Law Technol Policy 2005;2:49–99.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Allred BB, Park WG. Patent rights and innovative activity: evidence from national and firm-level data. J Int Business Stud 2007;38:878–900.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Tang L. Patent status of Chinese medicinal herb in foreign countries and registered patents in China by foreigners. Sci Technol Manage Res (Chin) 2010;176–180.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Reid J. Biopiracy: the struggle for traditional knowledge rights. Am Ind Law Rev 2009;34:77–98.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Chowdhury N. Patents bill: protecting indigenous knowledge. Eco Politic Weekly 2004;39:4984–4986.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Tedlock B. Indigenous heritage and biopiracy in the age of intellectual property rights. Explore 2006;2:256–259.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Wang T, Che M, Wang Y. Cases study on international traditional medical knowledge rights protection. Chin J New Drugs (Chin) 2006;15:1609–1614.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Deardorff A. Welfare effects of global patent protection. Economeica 1992;59:36–51.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Diwan I, Rodrik D. Patents, appropriate technology, and North-South trade. J Int Economics 1991;30:27–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Blaustein R. Genetic resources and the convention on biological diversity. Bio Sci 2006;56:560–563.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Roopnaraine T. Indigenous knowledge, biodiversity and rights. Anthropol Today 1998;14:16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. http://seed.agron.ntu.edu.tw/agra/indilaw.htm (retrieved on 2013-03-14).

  38. Lee JH, Lee DH, Choi BH. Phylogeography and genetic diversity of East Asian Neolitsea sericea (Lauraceae) based on variations in chloroplast DNA sequences. J Plant Res 2013;126:193–202.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Liang BA. Global governance: promoting biodiversity and protecting indigenous communities against biopiracy. J Commerc Biotechnol 2011;17:248–253.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Yen SY. Legal protection of Chinese herbal medicine. Tunghai Law Rev 2005;23:251–296.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agronomy, Taiwan University, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, China

    Jing-jing Guo  (郭菁菁)

  2. State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, 999078, China

    Jing-jing Guo  (郭菁菁), Wei Pan  (潘 威), Mei-wan Chen  (陈美婉), Chun-ming Wang  (王春明) & Yi-tao Wang  (王一涛)

Authors
  1. Jing-jing Guo  (郭菁菁)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wei Pan  (潘 威)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mei-wan Chen  (陈美婉)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Chun-ming Wang  (王春明)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yi-tao Wang  (王一涛)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yi-tao Wang  (王一涛).

Additional information

Co-first authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Guo, Jj., Pan, W., Chen, Mw. et al. Overview of Taiwan’s indigenous ethnopharmacology in the perspective of traditional knowledge protection. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 21, 949–954 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-013-1339-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-013-1339-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation