Safeguarding folk knowledge of medicinal animals being lost in China: Urgent call for documentation, preservation, and scientific research
| 作者 | Shi-Shi Lin1, Bao-Huan Wu2, Ren-Chuan Hu3, Bin-Sheng Luo4* |
| 刊物 | Traditional Medicine Research |
| 标识符 | 10.53388/TMR20241105001 |
| 摘要 | Traditional medicinal animals and their derivatives hold a significant place within the traditional Chinese medicine framework. However, substantial knowledge about medicinal animals is being lost – particularly within China’s folk practices and ethnic minority groups – remains unrecorded and unverified scientifically. Such knowledge, primarily preserved through oral instruction, is now at risk of disappearing due to its fragmented and regionalized nature. This paper underscores the importance of documenting and scientifically validating these medicinal animals as valuable resources. We advocate for a comprehensive, systematic approach to recording, screening, and verifying the pharmacological mechanisms of medicinal animals. It can contribute to the modernization and globalization of traditional Chinese medicine. In the future, interdisciplinary and international collaborations are essential to advance the systematic documentation and scientific management of medicinal animal knowledge, to ensure its preservation and application in global healthcare, sustainable health practices, and biodiversity conservation efforts. |
