Yunnan Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory Approved as "Co-Certification Laboratory on National Reference Materials for Natural Products"

Recently, Yunnan Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory became the 37th institution in China that was approved as the "Co-Certification Laboratory on National Reference Materials for Natural Products" by the Specialistic Group on Natural Product of National Technical Committee on Reference Materials. The approval was of great significance to promote the industrialization of active substances of natural products of Yunnan's characteristic plants, further enhance the status and level of Yunnan in the research field of national reference materials for natural products, advance the development of Yunnan's characteristic plant resources industry, and provide a strong fundamental guarantee for related testing and research, as well as the massive health field.

Subsequently, Chao Zhimao, Researcher of the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, a doctoral supervisor, and Research Director of reference materials and co-certification for traditional Chinese medicine of the Analytical Chemistry Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, as well as Scientist of Chinese Herbal Medicine Industry Technical System, was invited by the Laboratory to deliver lectures and training from February 14 to 15, 2023. This action aimed to enhance the understanding of R&D personnel in the department on national reference materials, advance the research of reference materials for natural products and expedite industrial project approval at the Yunnan Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory, and ensure the smooth progress of the national reference material project for natural products.

In recent years, due to consumers' growing awareness of "natural products", natural extracts are more commonly utilized as raw materials in food, health products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and other industries. There are more than 30,000 species of higher plants in China, of which over 3,000 have been developed as raw materials of plant extracts, accounting for one-third of the Inventory of Existing Cosmetic Ingredients in China. Therefore, plant raw materials are treasure resources to be explored. These plants are all discovered in Yunnan. The extracts of these plants can be utilized not just in cosmetics but also as crucial raw materials in industries such as green food and pharmaceuticals. Extracts of plants such as purslane and prinsepia utilis royle originating from Yunnan have been creatively applied in the cosmetics field by Botanee Group, a unit leading the Laboratory's construction, garnering a favorable market response. Plants such as Panax notoginseng and Yunnan chonglou are well-known authentic medicinal materials in Yunnan. The quality control and identification of raw materials depend on the support of reference materials for natural products. National reference materials, as the only physical standard, are a vital part of Chinese national standards. Developing reference materials for natural products is an urgent need in the industrialization of natural products, which is of great significance for advancing industries like pharmaceuticals and massive health.

Yang Zhaoxiang, Chief Scientist of the Laboratory, presents Professor Chao with a letter of appointment as a specially invited expert on behalf of the Laboratory

Currently, Yunnan Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory is setting up a project to develop 7 national reference materials related to Yunnan's characteristic plant industry. Next, the Laboratory plans to establish an Academician and Expert Workstation of Yunnan Province focusing on the research of national reference materials for natural products, introducing academicians and experts in relevant fields to provide technical guidance for the Laboratory’s construction and project research and development (R&D). The Laboratory states that developing national reference materials for natural products is of great significance for the advancement of Yunnan Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory. It will help promote the standardization of natural products in the Laboratory. Establishing an Academicians and Experts Workstation can effectively address the problems of technical R&D, achievement transformation, and product competitiveness encountered by enterprises in their development. It serves as an efficient "catalyst" for enterprise development and a high-energy "accelerator" for the high-quality development of Yunnan's characteristic plant industry. Establishing an Academicians and Experts Workstation can achieve organic combination of companies, universities and research institutes. It is meaningful for the Laboratory to break through technical barriers, cultivate talents, speed up the project process, and promote the in-depth R&D of characteristic plants in Yunnan. Furthermore, the Laboratory will gradually establish a reference material system for raw materials of Yunnan's characteristic plants used in cosmeceuticals and functional foods. This will provide robust technical support for utilizing Yunnan's characteristic plants, leverage Yunnan's abundant plant resources to gain advantages in quality standards, quality evaluation, detection levels, and industrialization, and finally convert them into economic benefits.