Current and Future Use of Membrane Technology in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an important part of Chinese culture and the Chinese pharmaceutical industry. The adoption of stricter requirements for the quality of medicines has resulted in the loss of conformity of some traditional techniques used to prepare TCMs modern pharmaceutical methods. The TCM industry has begun to seek out novel methods to improve product quality and increase economic efficiency. Membrane technology is efficient, energy saving, and environmentally friendly. It is widely used in food processing, desalination, wastewater treatment, and in the medical industry. Membrane technology has also been adopted by the TCM industry as an alternative to traditional technology and has achieved good results. At present, membrane technology has been used in the separation, purification and concentration of TCMs. This review describes the use of microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and membrane distillation, in TCM processing that have been reported. Membrane fouling is the most important obstacle in the use of membrane-based processes by the TCM industry. The causes and control of membrane fouling associated with TCM extracts are also analyzed.