On December 24th, 2020 a press conference on publishing the findings for testing all ingredients and studying the efficacy of Roxburgh rose and Chinese honey-locust from Guizhou as well as the launching ceremony of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Roxburgh Rose and Chinese Honey-locust Industry Innovation Union were both held at the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Guangdong (DARA). The press conference was hosted by Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture (GLLMA) and organized by GPHL, with the guidance of the DARA.

Qiu Rongliang, deputy head of the GLLMA and vice president of the South China Agricultural University, presides over the press conference.

Under the leadership of the DARA, GLLMA, GPHL, South China Agricultural University and Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences tested all ingredients of Roxburgh rose, studied its efficacy and explored its comprehensive application in order to further improve the research and development related to Roxburgh rose and Chinese honey-locust. GPHL also gave full play to its advantages. For example, the Group worked with the team led by Prof. Kwok-Fai So, academic of Chinese Academy of Sciences, to assess the medical effects of Roxburgh rose at the beginning of 2020. In April 2020 GPHL joined hands with the Guizhou Provincial Research Institute for Respiratory Diseases to build the Industry-university–institute Cooperation Group for Studying Roxburgh Rose as a Prevention Approach and Treatment of Respiratory Diseases, which was led by Dr. Zhong Nanshan.

Dr. Lou Caixia from the Comparative Medicine Laboratory of Guangdong Medical Laboratory Center

At present several research projects have secured intermediate results. The findings on all ingredients of Roxburgh rose and Chinese honey-locust were released and the most significant achievements included the laboratory findings on evaluating the efficacy of Roxburgh rose in the reduction of hangover symptoms, protection of liver and eyes and anti-oxidation. As well as this, the findings on studying Chinese honey-locust seed peel as a healthy food continue including studying the active insecticidal and bactericidal ingredients in Chinese honey-locust.

Dr. Wang Yu, research scientist from the Industry-university–institute Cooperation Group for Studying Roxburgh Rose as a Prevention Approach and Treatment of Respiratory Diseases

On the same day the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Roxburgh Rose and Chinese Honey-locust Industry Innovation Union was established by GPHL, GLLMA, Guizhou Academy of Sciences, Prof. Kwok-Fai So’s team from the University of Hong Kong, the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicines, Macau University of Science and Technology with Prof. Yitao Wang's team from the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicines of the Macau University of Science and Technology. This union engages six parties to create a research platform for industry-university–institute cooperation in a complementary manner, aiming to accelerate research and secure findings.

After the union is formed, more studies on Roxburgh rose will be conducted in order to help develop raw materials for functional Roxburgh rose bio-medicines and Ciningji series; to support raw material control, technology optimization, product quality control of Roxburgh rose; and to further develop and study Chinese honey-locust based Biological pesticides.

At the meeting, GPHL chairman Li Chuyuan announced that GPHL will invest 50 million RMB in research and plans to support constant research on Roxburgh rose and development of healthy Roxburgh rose products through 3-year research projects and investment.

“The Union is established to better integrate resources of industry-university–institute cooperation from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, which will help us identify the most suitable way of engagement and areas of synergy, and also help promote collaborative innovation of regional research”, deputy director general of the DARA Huang Binmin said.

On that day Wanglaoji also launched its new product, Ciningji Roxburgh rose juice. This is fruit juice with a high concentration of Roxburgh rose juice. A bottle of Ciningji Roxburgh rose juice (50ml) can provide 600mg of vitamin C.

Authors: Monica & Michelle

Editors: Olivia & Jerry