中药外用制剂研究概述与展望

中药外用制剂具有深厚的历史积淀和独特的作用优势, 但近年来发展受到一定限制。笔者在回顾中药外用制剂发展历程、概述中药传统和现代外用制剂发展现状的基础上, 提出了中药外用制剂面临的关键问题和可能的解决途径, 并对中药外用制剂的研究趋势进行了展望。外用制剂与口服、注射制剂有“三分天下”的发展趋势, 中药外用制剂研究重点在于解决关键物质基础不明、外用吸收效率低和慢性创面难以愈合三大关键问题, 有望通过仿生膜分离技术、中药挥发油促渗剂开发和创面微生态调节加以解决。未来的中药外用制剂研究热点可能集中在创新材料研究、创新技术应用、创新制剂研究和微生态研究方面, 发展前景广阔。 

External Preparations of Traditional Chinese Medicines: Overview and Future Direction

The external use of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has a profound history and remarkable advantages.However,its development is limited in recent years.The present article overviewed the history of external preparations of TCM and discussed the status of the formulations which have been utilized in both of TCM and modern pharmaceutics.Based on such foundation,the key issues,and potential solutions for external preparations of TCM are raised,while future direction in investigating external preparations in TCM are also discussed.External preparations are believed to be one of the three major formulations in future development of TCM pharmaceutics compared to oral administration and injection.Three unresolved questions in external preparations of TCM are known to be unclear chemical fundamentals,poor absorption efficiency and delayed wound healing.These issues are expected to be investigated via using biomimetic membrane separation technology,TCM essential oil and skin microbiome.In the future,TCM external preparations will have a broad prospect in many fields,such as novel biomaterials,innovative technology application,new formulation techniques and microbiome,which will lead to further development in external formulation of TCM.