99650 Pharmacology of Chinese Herbal Medicine
Finding Journal Articles
Learning Objectives: Practise how to find journal articles to understand
evidence-based Chinese herbal medicine
Top Databases
Embase, Medline and AMED can be accessed via the Library Website
http://www.lib.uts.edu.au from:
 the Find Databases tool, or
 the Catalogue
Example searches for Embase, Medline and AMED:
( suggestions from your lecturer)
1. Search using single herb name or active compounds:
Herb name
Active compounds
Ren Shen, Ginseng
ginsenosides
Dan Shen, Salvia Miltiorrhiza
tanshinones
Gan Cao, Licorice, Radix Glycyrrhizae glycyrrhizin or glycyrrhetic acid
Jiao Gu Lan, Gynostemma
gypenosides
pentaphyllum
2. Search using herb name with known active compounds and pharmacological
effects or clinical applications


Huang Lian (Coptis Chinensis) /Berberine and anti-diabetes/diabetes
Huang Qin (Radix Scutellariae)/baicalin and anti-cancer/cancer
3. Screening search for a special disease:
 Chinese herbal medicines for obesity
 Chinese herbal medicines for diabetes
 Chinese herbal medicines for enhancing immunity
 Chinese herbal medicines for menopause
 Chinese herbal medicines for cancer therapy
Search hints:
 Try ‘Map term to subject heading’ in “Advanced Search” to find Medical
Subject Heading on your topic, eg Chinese herbal medicine maps to
herbaceous agent in Embase, maps to Drugs, Chinese Herbal in Medline
 For some herbs, more related subject headings can be found, e.g. ginseng,
ginseng extract, ginseng saponin, ginsenoside, you can choose OR to include these
subjects
 If can’t find a subject heading for a specific topic, e.g. chenpi, then choose
keyword search: chenpi OR chen pi OR Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae
 Use refine function to limit your results on a specific Publication Type, eg
Randomized Controlled Trial, Controlled Clinical Trial or Systematic Review
More information on Evidence Based Medicine: go to Study Guide->
Pharmacy->Evidence Based Practice
 use SFX link to locate full text
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4. Use one more databases concurrently (Embase, Medline and AMED) through
OVID Resources to do search.
Use keyword in “Advanced Search” and then refine the results by Subject.


Dan Shen/ Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae/ Salvia miltiorrhiza, tanshinones
Jiao Gu Lan/Gynostemma pentaphyllum, gypenosides
Electronic Reference Books/Databases
(search by title at the library catalogue)

Mosby's Handbook of Herbs & Natural Supplements Mosby, 2006
Provides detailed information on 300 commonly used herbal products and
natural supplements. Search herb by Chinese, English and pharmacology
name, search herbal formula by name of disease.

An illustrated Chinese materia medica Oxford University Press, 2005
A lavishly illustrated atlas of the 320 herbs used most frequently in traditional
Chinese medical practice. Each substance is profiled authoritatively in
monographs that provide pharmaceutical, botanical and English names; flavor
properties and channel tropisms; functions; clinical uses and major
combinations; dosage and administration; and precautions.

A clinical guide to identifying Chinese materia medica Beijing: People's
Medical Pub. House, 2008

An illustrated atlas of the commonly used Chinese materia medica
Beijing: People's Medical Pub. House, 2007

Chinese and related North American herbs : phytopharmacology and
therapeutic values CRC Press, 2009.

Natural Standard Natural Standard database provides high-quality, evidence-based
information about complementary and alternative medicine including dietary supplements
and integrative therapies.
Useful Free Websites

PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ )
The U.S. National Library of Medicine's digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal
literature, providing free access to the full text of articles.

HerbMed (http://www.herbmed.org/)
Searchable database provides evidence-based herbal information. Six categories of
information are provided for each herb: evidence of activity, warnings, preparations, mixtures,
mechanisms of action and related web links.

Complementary and Alternative Healing University
(http://www.alternativehealing.org)
Searchable information of TCM, including Chinese herbs, Qigong, Acupuncture, massage, etc.
Have a question? Go to RHD in the library, or send an email:
Meijun.Huang@uts.edu.au
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