The origin of Epimedium Herb in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia Eighteenth Edition is the terrestrial part of Epimedium koreanum Nakai, Epimedium grandiflorum Morren var. thunbergianum Nakai, Epimedium pubescens Maximowicz, Epimedium brevicornu Maximowicz, Epimedium wushanense T. S. Ying, Epimedium sagittatum Maximowicz or Epimedium sempervirens Nakai (Berberidaceae). Epimedium Herb is used for medicinal liquors and health drinks. Epimedium Herb contains icariin as a characteristic compound.

In order to help better understanding and facilitate quality control of Epimedium Herb, methods for quantitative analyses of icariin in Epimedium Herb are elaborated.

While the demand for herbal medicine is increasing, the import price inflation and the low self-sufficiency rate of crude drugs have become a serious problem in Japan. The promotion of domestic cultivation and the improvement of cultivation techniques are required to ensure a stable supply of crude drugs. In particular, it is known that the chemical composition of Atractylodes lancea is altered by cultivation environments, and hence the development of a cultivation method to maintain quality is needed. Previously, root-zone temperature control using the New Root-zone Environmental Control System (N.RECS) has been successful in promoting the growth of cyclamen and other flowering plants and saving energy. N.RECS is comprised of floor heating panels with cooling or heated water flow and heat-insulating pot trays. In this study, we examined the effects of root-zone temperature on the growth and metabolites of A. lancea. The regulation of root-zone temperature in N.RECS promoted the development of leaves, branches, and flowers, resulting in an increased yield of A. lancea rhizome. On the other hand, N.RECS didn’t affect the concentration of components such as essential oil or β-eudesmol. Therefore, these results indicated N.RECS might be a potential method to increase the yield of metabolites through enhanced growth of A. lancea.

A survey on the variety, amount and producing countries of crude drugs for medicinal use was conducted among member companies belonging to Japan Kampo Medicines Manufacturers Association in fiscal 2021 and 2022. The results showed that the total amount of use and number of items of crude drugs were 29,392 tons of 293 items in 2021, and 33,830 tons of 284 items in 2022, respectively. Comparing production ratios among countries, Japan, China and the other countries produced 8.7%, 83.7% and 7.6% of the total amount used in 2021, respectively. Similarly, each ratio turned to 8.6%, 80.0% and 11.4% in 2022.

Seventeen crude drug extracts were screened against Vibrio vulnificus. Mallotus bark exhibited strong antibacterial effects. To reveal the antibacterial components in Mallotus bark, we conducted chromatographic separation to obtain 10 known components. Among these, compounds 1 and 2 were isolated from this plant for the first time. Compounds 1–10 were evaluated for antibacterial activity against V. vulnificus. Compound 1 showed the strongest effect on this pathogenic bacterium.