Properties of Approved Antitumour Chinese Herbal Medicines: Integrating Evidence and Tradition

The properties and meridian affinities of Chinese herbal medicine are closely associated with their therapeutic efficacy. This review focuses on approved antitumour Chinese medicines listed in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (2020 Edition, Volume I), highlighting their key components. Statistical methods were used to analyse the properties, flavours and channel tropisms of antitumour traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), including both proprietary formulations and commercially available individual herbs. Distinctive patterns were identified by comparing herb profiles with contemporary experimental studies on antitumour TCM. Analysis revealed that bitter-cold herbs represented the highest proportion of antitumour TCM, with most showing tropism towards the liver channel. These findings provide a reference framework for antitumour drug development, indicating that bitter-cold herbs merit priority as candidate ingredients.