A concise classification of bencao (materia medica)

Books that record the sources and applications of medicinal materials are commonly known as bencao (materia medica) in China. Bencao (materia medica) literature review is the very first step in the standard authentication procedure of Chinese medicinals. As an important part of China’s cultural heritage, these various bencao (materia medica) texts represent centuries of accumulated wisdom in combating disease and preserving health. In this short review, bencao (materia medica) classics of China are broadly divided into three major categories in our routine practice: mainstream bencao (materia medica), thematic bencao (materia medica) and regional bencao (materia medica). The overall significance and current situation of exploration of bencao (materia medica) literature are summarized as well.


Background
China is a large country with diverse ecological conditions and abundant botanical, zoological and mineral resources. Among them, some are of medicinal value and have been used medicinally since ancient times. In China, books that record the sources and applications of medicinal materials are commonly known as bencao (materia medica). The Chinese term "bencao", which literally means "rooted in herbs", reflects the fact that most medicinal materials are derived from botanical sources. Bencao (materia medica) texts of past dynasties primarily describe three aspects of Chinese medicinals: medicinal materials, medicinal properties, and medicinal principles. As an important part of China's cultural heritage, these various bencao (materia medica) texts represent centuries of accumulated wisdom in combating disease and preserving health. The Complete Collection of Traditional Texts on Chinese Materia Medica, a 410-volume and 246,000-page collection complied by the Association of Chinese Culture Research, includes more than 800 bencao (materia medica) classics from 220 BC to 1911 AD. This collection highlights the value of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a rich source for knowledgebased medical rediscovery due to its documentation of clinical experiences over thousands of years, and also illustrates the monumental challenge of selecting the best parts of TCM for modern innovation ( [1][2][3], Fig. 1).
The genre of bencao (materia medica) literature is uniquely developed in Chinese medicine, and represents a tremendous historical and cultural resource as well as an important reference point for clinicians, medical historians, and scientists in disciplines such as new drug discovery and Chinese medicinal authentication. Authentication is fundamental for Chinese medicinal standardization, and bencao (materia medica) literature review is the very first step in the standard authentication procedure of Chinese medicinals ( [4], Fig. 2).

Open Access
Chinese Medicine

Mainstream bencao (materia medica)
Over the past 2000 years, five monumental works stand out in the genre of bencao (materia medica) literature. They are the most influential classics from key historical periods.  Regional bencao (materia medica)

Conclusion
Bencao (materia medica) tradition provides a rich record of knowledge that has been gradually refined for centuries, opening a window into the cultural tradition of scholarship and textual research that defines TCM. Bencao (materia medica) literature such as the Compendium of Materia Medica (Ben Cao Gang Mu) illustrates important developments in the broader history of natural sciences in China, and this text has been translated into European languages since 1735 AD. In recent decades, exploration of bencao (materia medica) literature has facilitated dramatic medical discoveries, such as the antimalarial drug artemisinin from sweet wormwood (qinghao, Artemisiae Annuae Herba) [5]. However, at present, the overall significance of bencao (materia medica) literature remains underestimated outside of the TCM community. Therefore, in addition to