A group of Chinese medicine professors claimed that pangolin scales have plenty of alternatives which possess the same medicinal qualities. They also encouraged the public not to give in to exaggerated effects touted by illegal vendors for profits.
Their call, which was made at an international conservation conference on Wednesday, came as South China Morning Post reports that the amount seized in the first seven months of this year had reached a five-year high, with most of the contraband being sourced from Africa.
During the event, a number of traditional Chinese medicine academics, pangolin experts, and even conservationists from mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, and Africa were present. They all gathered at the University of Hong Kong to discuss the methods of protecting highly trafficked mammals.
The scales mainly comprise of keratin and are also believed to contain a high medicinal value. Apparently, they were discovered to be a significant reason behind the poaching of the animals. The latter's meat seems to be perceived as a delicacy. As of press time, there is yet to be scientific evidence proving that pangolin scales are really effective in using as treatment.
"Many herbal medicines have very similar functions to pangolin scales," Professor Lao Lixing, director of Hong Kong University's School of Chinese Medicine said at the conference organized by international conservation group WildAid.
Lao said that, in terms of Chinese medicine, it would take about five to nine grams of processed scales per dose. This already includes supplementary materials designed to treat conditions such as breast milk stoppage, rheumatoid arthritis, sores, and furuncles.
He further explained that the industry loves to associate the medical qualities of an ingredient with that of an animal's behavior, Yahoo! News reports.
"[Pangolins] can go through the soil, so it's believed that [their scales] can go through the vessels," Lao said, referring to the meridian system, through which life energy flows in traditional Chinese medicine.
Lao provided six substitutes, one of which is cowherb seed. The latter is known in Chinese as wang bu liu xing. It can reportedly be utilized for nurturing milk secretion. Earthworms, known as di long, on the other hand, are also capable of dispelling "heatiness" and expelling wind from the body.
"There are so many [substitutes] if you look at the textbook of Chinese medicine. I just named a few here," he said.
Lao called on the Chinese government to start educating the public about the medical properties of pangolin scale. He fears that some individuals may think the products must be effective enough if they were banned. The effects were often exaggerated by illegal vendors, he claimed.
