Medicine and food homologous plant resources and their utilization in Guangxi: A review

Medicine and food homology refers to natural resources that possess both medicinal and edible values, representing a crucial component of traditional Chinese medicine theoretical system in China. The industry of medicine and food homology holds significant potential to become a major pillar industry in China's national economy. This paper reviews the concept, classification, and management of medicine and food homology, and compares the differences during the management process across various countries/regions, and explores the scope of medicine and food homologous products and their distinctions from pharmaceuticals. The distributions of medicine and food homologous plant resources in Guangxi are summarized, and the development of medicine and food homologous plant resources in advantageous provinces or region like Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi is analyzed. Guangxi demonstrates significant advantages in medicine and food homologous plant resources, hosting 78% of plant species listed in the catalog of national medicine and food homology and over 80 traditional medicine and food homologous plants. Benefiting from the local resource advantages in medicine and food homology resources, Guangxi has developed a series of medicine and food homologous products such as Siraitia grosvenorii, Polygonatum, and Cinnamomum cassia. And the industrialized brands invovling the medicine and food homology are gradually formed in Guangxi. The medicine and food homology in Guangxi has the advantages of rich resources, diverse natural culture and distinctive local characteristics. To promote high-quality development of industry involving medicine and food homology in Guangxi, efforts should focus on strengthening standardized cultivation practices, foundational research, technological innovation, quality control, and regulatory system improvement.