Traditional Chinese Medicine Properties and Microcalorimetry: BioScience Evaluation

ABSTRACT The properties theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), characterized by cold, hot, warm, and cool four properties, is fundamental to its development, distinguishing it from natural, botanical, and chemical medicines. However, despite its significance, there is no unified theoretical definition, bioscientific characterization, or standardized evaluation of TCM's medicinal properties, as scholars use diverse methods and hold varying opinions. Historically, TCM practitioners relied on intuitive physical perspectives due to limited scientific knowledge and tools. This study aims to investigate the fundamental nature and core standards of TCM's medicinal properties from an underlying logical thinking and physics perspective, with a focus on the four properties of TCM and the ‘macro‐micro’ doctrine extension and integration outlook. The research examines the current state, progress, and trends in TCM properties, exploring their relationship with the ‘thermodynamic outlook of TCM properties' and the use of microcalorimetry. This paper adopts a systematic approach, drawing on theories, research methodologies, and practical results from various TCM practitioners. Microcalorimetry is employed as a method to explore the four properties of TCM and their broader implications. The research highlights the connection between the four properties of TCM and thermodynamics, demonstrating the effectiveness of microcalorimetry in understanding these properties. It presents a structured outlook on “quality differentiation of drug properties–drug properties are characterized by curative effect–curative effect monitoring clinical (‘Q’–P–‘C’)” and introduces the new concept of “stylization of TCM.” By integrating both shared characteristics and individual differences of theories, research methods, and practical achievements from multiple TCM scholars, this provides a feasible approach to standardizing TCM's medicinal properties, thereby further deepening the understanding and application of TCM through a structured, physics‐based framework.