Journal profile · CHEMISTRY, MEDICINAL
Chinese Herbal Medicines
ISSN 1674-6384 · eISSN 2589-3610 · Elsevier · Netherlands
Chinese Herbal Medicines: CAS Zone 2 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 11.2 (journal website); fully open access; APC about USD 1,200; median 189 days to acceptance (89 articles, last 24 months); 72 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Chinese Herbal Medicines is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Traditional Chinese Medicine Analysis, Natural product bioactivities and synthesis and Phytochemistry and Biological Activities, together about 32.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology and Pharmacology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Chinese Herbal Medicines (CHM) is a peer-reviewed journal sponsored by Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.CHM is an international quarterly-published journal with the aim at pioneering in the research trend of herbal medicines from different countries or regions and providing a forum for the theoretical and clinical studies on traditional medicines, herbal medicines and natural products. The journal covers researches on medicinal materials and resources, active constituents (including biosynthesis, tissue culture, etc.), classical and complex formulae (including compatibility and incompatibility of prescriptions, pharmaceutics and technology), quality evaluation and safety, authentication (including molecular and morphological identification, etc.) of herb medicines in phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, pharmacokinetics, and therapeutic function through experimental and clinical trials. Please note that hospital preparations and self-developed prescriptions are generally not within the scope of articles accepted by our journal. Additionally, original articles involving extracts and water decoctions lacking quality control standards will not be considered for publication. The journal is intended to disseminate the latest developments and research progress in traditional and herbal medical sciences to researchers, practitioners, academics and administrators worldwide in the field of traditional and herbal medicines. The journal's international coverage ensures that research and progress from all regions of the world are widely included.Article types accepted by CHM include, but are not limited to, editorials, original articles, reviews, short communications, and book reviews. Headed by experienced and internationally recognized Editors-in-Chief and supported by the well-represented international editorial board, CHM aims to be developed into a leading journal in the field of traditional and herbal medicine, and to become a communication bridge between traditional medicine and modern medicine.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): CHEMISTRY, MEDICINAL
Editorial board by country: 34 in mainland China (about 39%); most named Mainland China 34, United States 12, Japan 6, Thailand 4, Macau, China 3 (88 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Traditional Chinese Medicine AnalysisMedicine13%
- Natural product bioactivities and synthesisBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology11.4%
- Phytochemistry and Biological ActivitiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences7.6%
- Pharmacological Effects of Natural CompoundsPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics7.4%
- Ginseng Biological Effects and ApplicationsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.9%
- Traditional Chinese Medicine StudiesMedicine4.9%
- Plant-based Medicinal ResearchPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics4.4%
- Chromatography in Natural ProductsChemistry3.9%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Medicinal | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Medicinal | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Integrative & Complementary Medicine | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Medicinal | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
ESCIScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 11.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 13.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 13.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.46LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.01LetPub ·
- h-index
- 41OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 397OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.02OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 69LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,036 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 95 | 95 | 10 |
| 2025 | 72 | 72 | 240 |
| 2024 | 76 | 76 | 728 |
| 2023 | 79 | 79 | 1,697 |
| 2022 | 77 | 77 | 1,599 |
| 2021 | 72 | 72 | 1,081 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
189 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 114 days – 254 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (89 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 190 days
- Sample
- 89 articles with submission and acceptance dates (139 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 10 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 210 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Anonymous peer reviewLetPub
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Fully open accessOpenAlex
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 1,200 / EUR 1,120 / GBP 960 / JPY 148,840 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 1,200 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 1,200 | — | — |
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare8 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 1
- Reference style
- APA
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Optional
Article types accepted5
- book reviewArticle types accepted by CHM include, but are not limited to, editorials, original articles, reviews, short communications, and book reviews. Headed by experie…Length not stated
- editorialArticle types accepted by CHM include, but are not limited to, editorials, original articles, reviews, short communications, and book reviews. Headed by experie…Length not stated
- original articleArticle types accepted by CHM include, but are not limited to, editorials, original articles, reviews, short communications, and book reviews. Headed by experie…Length not stated
- reviewArticle types accepted by CHM include, but are not limited to, editorials, original articles, reviews, short communications, and book reviews. Headed by experie…Length not stated
- short communicationArticle types accepted by CHM include, but are not limited to, editorials, original articles, reviews, short communications, and book reviews. Headed by experie…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- Netherlands
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1674-6384
- Electronic ISSN
- 2589-3610
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Chinese Herbal Medicines
What CAS zone is Chinese Herbal Medicines in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Chinese Herbal Medicines is in Zone 2 of Medicine, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Chemistry, Medicinal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Chinese Herbal Medicines?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 11.2; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 13.5, h-index 41.
How long does peer review take at Chinese Herbal Medicines?
Based on the dates recorded on 89 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 189 days (interquartile range 114–254 days); authors report an average review time of about 10 weeks. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Chinese Herbal Medicines?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: ≥ 1; Reference style: APA; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Highlights: Optional; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Chinese Herbal Medicines based?
Of the 88 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 34 (about 39%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (34), United States (12) and Japan (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Chinese Herbal Medicines?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Chinese Herbal Medicines is indexed in ESCI, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Chinese Herbal Medicines open access, and what is the APC?
Chinese Herbal Medicines is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 1,200.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .