Abstract
BackgroundThe content of medicinal bioactive constituents in huangqi is affected by plant age. In this study, we devised a quick and convenient method for determining the age of huangqi, which was cultivated in Hunyuan County (Shanxi Province).Methods1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10 growth years huangqi had 38 samples, all samples were collected separately. The growth rings in these samples were observed after making paraffin section and freehand-section. The relationship between growth rings and its growth years was analyzed by SPSS 19.0 software. Histochemical localization of total flavones and saponins in huangqi was determined by color reactions. The concentration of four flavonoids and two saponins in the roots of huangqi of different ages and different organizational structure (normal roots and rotten heart roots) were determined by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-ELSD. The results were analyzed by SPSS 19.0 software.ResultsAll huangqi samples had clear growth rings, and the statistical result about growth rings (X) and growth years (Y) showed significant correlation (r = 1, P = 0.000). The calibration curves of these six ingredients showed good linearity respectively, with significant correlation. All relative standard deviations (RSDs) of precision, recovery, repeatability, and stability experiments were less than 2%. Roots of 5-year-old plants contained the highest concentrations of total flavonoids and saponins. Saponin concentrations increased toward the center of the roots, whereas the four flavonoids showed an opposite trend in tissue distribution.ConclusionThe growth year of huangqi (Hunyuan County, Shanxi Province) could be determined soon and conveniently by naked eyes after staining phloroglucinol-HCl solution on freehand section. The content of saponins and flavonoids in rotten heart root and the surrounding normal tissues were affected by the formation and the extent of rotten heart.
Highlights
The content of medicinal bioactive constituents in huangqi is affected by plant age
Growth rings have been discovered in the roots of many perennial herbs and have been used to identify plant age [17,18,19,20,21,22]
We aimed to identify the age of huangqi cultivated in Hunyuan County (Shanxi Province) using a convenient method and to profile the main bioactive constituents
Summary
The content of medicinal bioactive constituents in huangqi is affected by plant age. We devised a quick and convenient method for determining the age of huangqi, which was cultivated in Hunyuan County (Shanxi Province). Astragali Radix, known as huangqi, is a well-known Chinese herbal medicine. The accurate and rapid determination of age is beneficial for evaluating the quality of huangqi. Growth rings have been discovered in the roots of many perennial herbs and have been used to identify plant age [17,18,19,20,21,22]. Growth rings have been found in huangqi and could be used to determine the age of samples [23]
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