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Radix Astragali (RA), the root of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus (Bunge) P.K. Hsiao, known as “Huangqi” in Chinese, has been used as a traditional herbal medicine or food in China for more than 2,000 years and is now consumed globally. Unfortunately, the increasing demand for RA has led to the overexploitation of its wild stock, as well as quality problems, including adulteration and contamination. Therefore, the sustainable cultivation of RA is urgently needed. In the present research, semi-structured interviews and key informant interviews were conducted, over a 2-year period, to collect data from stakeholders in the main production areas; moreover, a targeted chemical analysis-based quality assessment strategy was applied to understand the quality of RA. Accordingly, 10 different types of value chains (VCs) were identified in RA production; meanwhile, the contents of the main active ingredients (astragaloside and calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside) were analyzed by HPLC-ELSD-UV and the yield of medicinal material was demined and further analyzed using k-means clustering analysis. The results show that the tight relationship between quality of the RA and stakeholders’ revenues among the VCs, which reflects a more general trend in the production system. Over the past few decades, vertical coordination has emerged increasingly in VCs of RA, which leads to a more coherent traceability system and rigorous regulations in the supply chains. Daodi herbs can be considered to be a standard that is distinctive with good quality characteristics that emphasize the origins of the medicinal plants. We find that the suitability of geographical areas and vertical integration can improve the VCs of RA, which further contributes to its quality control, as well as its sustainable production.

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Glehniae Radix (GR) is one of the major medicinal materials in China. The global demand for GR, especially in Asian countries, is constantly increasing, and the supply of wild medicinal materials falls short of the demand. Previous studies have shown that the production and processing modes of different value chains (VCs) impact the quality of medicinal materials. After 4 years of field and market research, this study includes interviews with stakeholders in the VCs, integrates different types of VCs, and further analyzes the VCs. GR characteristics were also assessed; the length and upper-middle diameter of the collected samples were measured, and the effective components of the samples were determined to rank the GR samples according to their quality. The effective components were further analyzed by the K-means clustering method. Concomitantly, the local price (the sales price of the place where the medicinal materials are produced) and market price (the sale price of medicinal materials in the market) of GR in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, and Anguo, Hebei, were documented, and the ARIMA (Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average) method was used to predict the GR price. Ten VCs are summarized in this article. The results showed that the income of the staff at the beginning of the VC is inadequate. Regarding GR origin, Inner Mongolia GR showed higher quality than that of other areas. As a result, the price of medicinal materials is relatively high, which corresponds to the market price of the survey. The forecast results showed that the market price of GR would increase slightly in the future, which could provide reference for the selection of medicinal materials cultivation in the future. Through the study, it was found that the vertical integration in the VCs of GR could guarantee not only the benefit of the growers but also the traceability of the medicinal materials, which further guarantees the quality of the medicinal materials. However, the complex relationship between the cultivation area and the quality of the medicinal materials is not clear, which should be addressed in future research.

Cistanche deserticola Ma was used as a medicine food homology, which was mainly produced in the Alxa region of northwest China. In recent years, it has been widely used in various food items. The increasing demand for Cistanches Herba has led to problems such as overexploitation and quality deterioration. The quality and safety of herbal medicines are critical and have been shown to be affected by the value chain (VC). Using the VC framework, the study is embedded in a larger study aiming to investigate the effects of different VCs types on the quality and stakeholders of Cistanches Herba. In this study, 90 Cistanches Herba samples were collected during fieldwork. An additional 40 samples were obtained from the herbal markets and medicine purchasing stations. Semi-structured interviews and key informant interviews were performed to collect data on stakeholders in major production areas. These samples were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with the k-means clustering method; a targeted quality assessment strategy based on chemical analysis was adopted to understand the quality of Cistanches Herba. Based on market research, the collected samples were divided into different grades through k-means clustering analysis. Moreover, quality differences of Cistanches Herba in Alxa region were explored through DNA barcoding and chemical analysis. Accordingly, 10 different types of VCs were determined in the production of Cistanches Herba. The results show that there is a close relationship between the quality of Cistanches Herba and stakeholder benefits. Vertical integration at different levels was found for independent farmer-based VCs, horizontal collaboration was found in the cooperative-based VCs. The vertical coordination has led to a more consistent traceability system and strict regulation of supply chains. At the same time, the Cistanches Herba were divided into three grades. Through DNA barcoding and chemical analysis, we found that the quality differences between Cistanches Herba in the Alxa area were not significant. It was found that geographical suitability and vertical integration could impact the quality and sustainable production of Cistanches Herba. At the same time, the well-developed VCs can provide products with reliable quality, and ensure adequate financial revenue for relevant stakeholders.

Background: The classification and application of Daur medicine is an essential part of Chinese ethnomedicinal knowledge. However, the cataloging of traditional Daur medicine is still limited. As Daur medicine is gradually being replaced by traditional Chinese and modern medicine, further research is urgently needed.Methods: We collected ethnobotany and ethnozoology data via semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and extensive literature reviews. Medicinal samples and specimens were collected during field investigations from June 2015 to October 2018. Attending diseases and ailments were classified according to the International Classification of Diseases 11th (ICD-11). The expression correlation of medicine classification, medicine and disease was assessed using Cytoscape 3.6.1 software. Use values were calculated to determine the importance of tradition medicinal plants and animals.Results: We documented 30 plant species (from 19 families) and 21 animal species (from 11 families). The majority of the species were previously collected from natural habitats but they have gradually become cultivated. The most widely utilized plants were herbs (21 species), followed by shrubs (4), trees (3), and fungus (2). The most utilized groups of animals were mammals (14 species), followed by birds (5), amphibians (1), and reptiles (1). Medicines were mostly administered orally (39), but were also externally applied (11), or via both routes (9). Informants indicated that medicines were prepared via decoction (21), grinding (11), boiling (10), extraction (8), and burning (7). Most medicines are taken/consumed as a drink (37), eaten (16), or made into pills and powders (7), but also used as an anointment/wash (6), wrap/dressing (5), in the nose, eyes, and mouth (4), or as a fumigate (2). The reported traditional Daur medicines treated 76 human diseases or ailments classified under 13 disease categories, based on the ICD-11. The most commonly used medicinal species were Cervus elaphus, Cervus nippon, Capreolus capreolus, Gallus gallus, Canis lupus familiaris, Betula platyphylla, and Artemisia integrifolia.Conclusions: A wealth of ethnobiological and ethnozoological knowledge exists, which may lead to the development of new drugs; thus, such knowledge urgently requires documentation. The information documented in the present study will be useful for future studies on the ethnopharmacological and traditional knowledge of the Daur region.

Background: The traditional medical practices of the Daur region are an important element in Chinese ethnomedicinal knowledge. However, relatively little recording of traditional Daur medicine has been carried out. As Daur medicine is gradually being replaced by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and modern medicine, further research is urgently needed.Methods: We collected ethnobotany and ethnozoology data through semi-structured interviews with 114 informants (18 sessions), focus group discussions (6 sessions), and extensive literature reviews. Medicinal samples and specimens were collected during field investigations from June 2015 to October 2018. The diseases and ailments reported as being treated were classified according to the International Classification of Diseases 11th (ICD-11). The expression correlation of medicine classification, medicine, and disease was assessed using Cytoscape 3.6.1 software. Quantitative indices such as informant consensus factor (ICF) and use value (UV) were used to evaluate the importance of ethnomedicinal data. Results: We documented 30 plant species (from 19 families) and 21 animal species (from 11 families). In the past, the majority of plant species were collected from natural habitats, but now they are mainly cultivated. The most widely utilized plants were herbs (21 species), followed by shrubs (4), trees (3), and fungus (2). The most utilized groups of animals were mammals (14 species), followed by birds (5), amphibians (1), and reptiles (1). Medicines were mostly administered orally (43) but were also applied externally (11) or delivered via both routes (9). Informants indicated that medicines were prepared via decoction (21), grinding (11), boiling (10), extraction (8), and burning (7). Medicines were taken as a drink (37), eaten (16), or made into pills and powders (7), but could also be administered as an ointment/wash (6), wrap/dressing (5), in the nose, eyes, and mouth (4), or as a fumigate (2). The traditional Daur medicines investigated in this study treated 76 human diseases or ailments classified under 13 disease categories, based on the ICD-11. The highest ICF (1.00) was reported for neoplasms and visual system diseases and childbirth or the puerperium, followed by injury, poisoning, or other diseases resulting from external causes (0.92), and symptoms, signs or clinical findings, not elsewhere classified (0.82). The most used medicinal species were Cervus elaphus, Cervus nippon, Capreolus, Gallus, Canis lupus familiaris, Betula platyphylla, and Artemisia integrifolia. Conclusions: The current research can make an important contribution to the body of knowledge about the national medicine of the Daur people. This is particularly important because the younger generation is not interested in learning and preserving their traditional medical practices. A substantial body of ethnobotanical and ethnozoological knowledge could lead to the development of new medicines. Therefore, research into Daur ethnic medicines is urgently required. The information documented in the present study will provide a useful basis for future investigations into the ethnopharmacological and traditional knowledge of the Daur region.