The Current Situation of Japanese Medicinal Plants Industry and its Significance on the Pharmaceutical Industry 1-2 - 農業知識入口網

1. Current situation of crude drugs

1-2.Distinction between drugs and foodstuffs

In Japan, medicinal plants are classified into two groups based on the list of characteristics in the “Distinction between drugs and foodstuffs” 3).

Medicinal plants that are used exclusively as medicine (ie., cannot be used as food):

232 plant-based species, 21 animal-based species, 58 other species, e.g., Japanese Angelica (root), Astragalus (root), Phellodendron (bark), Coptis (rhizome, fibrous root), Rhubarb (rhizome), Aconite (tuberous root), etc.

Medicinal plants that are considered non-medicinal unless medicinal efficacy is clearly stated (ie., can be used as food as long as therapeutic claims are not made) :

804 plant-based species, 65 animal-based species, 147 other species, e.g., Eleutherococcus senticosus (bark, root, root bark, leaf, flower, fruit), Bitter melon (fruit, root, leaf), Astragalus (stem, leaf), Phellodendron (leaf, berry), Coptis (leaf), Rhubarb (leaf), Ginseng (fruit, root, rhizome, leaf), etc.