Multi-component Chinese medicine, which is based on the traditional Chinese medicine theory and classical prescriptions, directs at the functions and indications of Chinese herbal medicine compounds and aims to get simple chemistry components of Chinese herbal medicine. Therefore, the chemical components of multi-component Chinese medicine are more definite and the action mechanism is clearer than traditional Chinese medicine. As we all know, the comprehensive function of traditional Chinese medicine is reflected by multicomponents and multi-targets, but the curative mechanism has not been clearly discovered. Compared with traditional Chinese medicine, safety, low toxicity and measurability are the advantages of the multicomponent Chinese medicine. So, multi-component Chinese medicine is a new developmental pattern for traditional Chinese medicine.

At present, the modern medicine is in an old development pattern which aims at seeking new chemical compounds. Though the components in chemical compounds are clear, the target positions are certain, and the chemical compounds can be produced in a large scale, the development of a new chemical compounds is a lengthy process with high hazards. There is only one in millions probabilities for a new drug coming in to season. Chinese medicine as one of China’s national essence enjoys a history that can be dated back to several thousand years ago. Curative effect has been confirmed by human body. So the Chinese herbal medicine can be an important breakthrough in the modern medicine development. What is more, the researches in Chinese herbal medicine have made great progress. Now, the isolation of the components of Chinese herbal medicine can be easily carried out in various ways. The biological activity, action target as well as in vivo and in vitro metabolism of many constituents have been studied. And diverse traditional Chinese medicine databases have been built. Still, combinations of multi-component in curing defined disease are in study. From the above, these studies have paved a way for multicomponent Chinese medicine.

However, multi-component Chinese medicine has a long way to go. The use of Chinese herbal medicine is under the guidance of the theories of traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine has a lot of distinguished features, such as the four natures and five flavors, channel tropism, the effects of lifting, lowering, floating and sinking. Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the whole view when used. And the components of Chinese herbal medicine are complex. There is no evidence as to how they are metabolized in body and there is no research achievement showing the relationship among them. As yet, the studies in Chinese herbal medicine are less in order, there is no unified standard in studying the informative Chinese herbal medicine.

Multi-component Chinese medicine can play an important role in the development of traditional Chinese medicine. Meanwhile, it needs multi-disciplinary crossing research methods and technology development. Pharmaceutical chemistry and modern pharmacology must be put to use in the multi-component Chinese medicine study. In addition, the development of multi-component Chinese medicine needs a unified standard. Most important of all, the multi-component Chinese medicine can not keep away from traditional Chinese medicine theory.