STUDY ON THE DIFFERENCES OF MAJOR PHARMACEUTICAL INGREDIENTS IN DIFFERENT PARTS AND PROCESSED MEDICINAL MATERIAL OF EPIMEDIUM BREVICORNU MAXIM IN TAIHANG MOUNTAIN.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the medicinal values of different parts of Epimedium brevicornu Maxim. and the effect of processing on major pharmaceutical ingredients in it. The contents of icariin and epimedin C in different parts and processed medicinal material of E. brevicornu in Taihang Mountain were determined with ultrasonic extraction and RP-HPLC. The results indicated that the contents of icariin and epimedin C, respectively 3.4524% and 0.5485%, in the leaf are higher than that in other parts. The contents of icariin and epimedin C, respectively 0.1942 % and 0.1342%, in the stem (include petiole) are the lowest. The contents of these ingredients in the root (include rhizome) are close to that in the leaf. The icariin and epimedin C in all parts of E. brevicornu reduced after processing. The content of icariin in the processed leaf is about 59.5% of that in unprocessed leaves. The effect of prossing on the content of icariin in the stem is unobvious. The content of epimedin C in the processed leaf is about 33.7% of that in unprocessed leaf. The content of epimedin C in the processed stem (include petiole) is about 36.9% of that in unprocessed stem. It is worth to exploit the stem and petiole of E. brevicornu because there are certain contents of pharmaceutical ingredients in them. The firepower should be paid attention to and the temperature should not be very high to avoid the damage on pharmaceutical ingredients in E. brevicornu when process it.