Interpretation of cell culture of Saussurea involucrata

Saussurea involucrata ( S . involucrata ) has the effects of activating blood to promote menstruation, dispelling cold and removing dampness, and strengthening tendons and supporting yang. It is widely used as an ingredient for various medicines and health products. In China, S . involucrata is only distributed in Xinjiang, mainly in the alpine mountainous areas of the Tianshan Mountains, Kunlun Mountains, and the Pamir Plateau in Xinjiang. However, it grows slowly, and its habitat is gradually shrinking. Long-term exploitative harvesting has put its wild resources at risk of extinction. The cell culture of S . involucrata (CCSI) produced based on plant cell culture technology has similar components and medicinal effects to the wild S . involucrata , and can serve as a substitute for the wild one. The CCSI was approved as a new resource food in 2010 and has now achieved industrial production. However, the production standards of CCSI in different enterprises are not unified, leading to instability in production and quality control. Therefore, there is an urgent need to formulate a unified, comprehensive quality standard that can be applied nationwide. The group standard for Cell culture of S. involucrata (T/CACM 1480—2023) was approved by the China Association of Chinese Medicine on April 4, 2023. This standard stipulates the terms and definitions, requirements, test methods, test regulations, tags, product instructions, packaging, transportation, and storage of CCSI. The establishment and implementation of this standard can guide and regulate the industrial production and quality evaluation of CCSI, ensure the production and circulation of high-quality, stable, and safe CCSI, and provide a reference for the standard compilation of other plant cell cultures.