Non-medicinal Parts Research Articles

Overview of quality standards of Eucommiae Cortex in China and overseas

Eucommiae Cortex is an authentic medicinal material with broad growing areas( such as Hunan and Sichuan provinces in China. It is well-known for its efficacy in tonifying liver and kidney,strengthening muscles and bones,and stabilizing fetus. It has also been proven in pharmacology to possess the functions such as lowering blood pressure and lipids. Hence,Eucommiae Cortex has attracted increasing attention. The current quality standards of Eucommiae Cortex vary in different countries or regions. The quality of Eucommiae Cortex products on the market is affected by mix-ups of non-medicinal parts and insufficient growth years. In view of these problems,this paper summarizes the current quality standards and research progress of Eucommiae Cortex in China and overseas,aiming to provide a reference for the establishment of the quality standards of Eucommiae Cortex.

Rapid discovery of tyrosinase inhibitors from Sophora flavescens:significance for comprehensive utilization of its non-medicinal resources

Sophorae Flavescentis Radix,derived from the root of Sophora flavescens in the Leguminosae family,has been widely used in the medicine,agriculture,animal husbandry,and daily chemical industry. A pharmacophore model-based method for rapid discovery of tyrosinase inhibitors( TIs) from S. flavescens was established by molecular docking under Lipinski rules,and verified by enzyme assays. Briefly,the chemical constituent database of S. flavescens( CDSF) was established based on the previous papers. Theoptimal pharmacophore model( OPM) was constructed by DS 2019 on the basis of known active TIs. Eighty-three hits predominated by flavonoids having higher fitting scores with OPM than the positive control were screened out,and subjected to molecular docking based on the three-dimensional structure of tyrosinase crystal protein. The potential TIs such as kurarinone and nor-kurarinone were rapidly discovered from the compounds with higher docking scores than the positive control under the Lipinski rules. The results were verified by the in vitro enzyme assays. The inhibition activities of tyrosinase from non-medicinal parts of S. flavescens were also tested to explore the relationship between the inhibition activity and chemical compositions. This study is expected to provide data support for the comprehensive application and development of S. flavescens and also a new method for the rapid discovery of active substances or functional constituents in the complex systems.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of Paris polyphylla var. chinensis by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and HPLC

Paridis Rhizoma(PR) is prepared from the dried rhizome of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis(PPY) or P. polyphylla var. chinensis(PPC) in Liliaceae family. The rapid development of PPY or PPC planting industry resulted from resource shortage has caused the waste of a large number of non-medicinal resources. To clarify the chemical compositions in rhizomes, fibrous roots, stems, leaves, seeds and pericarps of PPC, and explore the comprehensive application value and development prospect of these parts, the qualitative and quantitative analyses on the different parts of PPC were carried out by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) and high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). A total of 136 compounds were identified, including 112 steroidal saponins, 6 flavonoids, 11 nitrogen-containing compounds and 7 phytosterols. Rhizomes, fibrous roots, and seeds mainly contained protopennogenyl glycosides and pennogenyl glycosides; leaves and stems mainly contained protodiosgenyl glycosides and diosgenyl glycosides; pericarps mainly contained pennogenyl glycosides, followed by diosgenyl glycosides. The total level of four saponins was the highest in fibrous roots and rhizomes, followed by those in the pericarps and arillate seeds, and the lowest in the stems and exarillate seeds. This study can provide data support for the comprehensive development and rational application of non-medicinal parts of PPC.

Studies on non-medicinal parts of plant materials: Triterpenes from the roots of Schisandra chinensis

Phytochemical study on a non-medicinal part of a plant material for herbal medicine, the roots of Schisandra chinensis, was conducted to isolate five new triterpenes, schinensins A–D (1–4) and 3-O-methylchangnanic acid (5), together with 21 known compounds including 10 triterpenes, one sterol, two sesquiterpenes, seven lignans, and one flavonoid. The structures of new triterpenes (1–5) were assigned on the basis of spectroscopic analyses aided with TDDFT ECD calculations. Schinensin A (1) was a dinortriterpene possessing 28-norschiartane skeleton, while schinensins B–D (2–4) were assigned as 3,4:9,10-disecocycloartane, 3,4-secocycloartane, and cycloartane triterpenes, respectively. In an evaluation of antiproliferative activities against human cancer cell lines, some triterpenes exhibited significant activities against human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells as compared to the other cell lines (A549, HeLa, and RPMI8226).

Discovery of potential Q-marker of traditional Chinese medicine based on plant metabolomics and network pharmacology: Periplocae Cortex as an example

BackgroundQuality control exerted great importance on the clinical application of drugs for ensuring effectiveness and safety. Due to chemical complexity, diversity among different producing areas and harvest seasons, as well as unintentionally mixed with non-medicinal parts, the current quality standards of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) still faced challenges in evaluating the overall chemical consistency. PurposeWe aimed to develop a new strategy to discover potential quality marker (Q-marker) of TCM by integrating plant metabolomics and network pharmacology, using Periplocae Cortex (GP, the dried root bark of Periploca sepium Bge.) as an example. MethodsFirst, plant metabolomics analysis was performed by UPLC/Q-TOF MS in 89 batches of samples to discover chemical markers to distinguish medicinal parts (GP) and non-medicinal parts (the dried stem bark of Periploca sepium Bge. (JP)), harvest seasons and producing region of Periplocae Cortex. Second, network pharmacology was applied to explore the initial linkages among chemical constituents, targets and diseases. Last, potential Q-marker were selected by integrating analysis of plant metabolomics and network pharmacology, and the quantification method of Q-marker was developed by using UPLC-TQ-MS. ResultsThe chemical profiling of GP and JP was investigated. Fifteen distinguishing features were designated as core chemical markers to distinguish GP and JP. Besides, the content of 4-methoxybenzaldehyde-2-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-glucopyranoside could be used to identify Periplocae Cortex harvested in spring-autumn or summer. Meanwhile, a total of 15 components targeted rheumatoid arthritis were screened out based on network pharmacology. Taking absorbed constituents into consideration, 23 constituents were selected as potential Q-marker. A simultaneous quantification method (together with 11 semi-quantitative analysis) was developed and applied to the analysis of 20 batches of commercial Periplocae Cortex on the market. The PLS-DA model was successfully developed to distinguish GP and JP samples. In addition, the artificially mixed GP sample, which contained no less than 10% of the adulterant (JP), could also be correctly identified. ConclusionOur results indicated that 9 ingredients could be considered as Q-marker of Periplocae Cortex. This study has also demonstrated that the plant metabolomics and network pharmacology could be used as an effective approach for discovering Q-marker of TCM to fulfill the evaluation of overall chemical consistency among samples from different producing areas, harvest seasons, and even those commercial crude drugs, which might be mixed with a small amount of non-medicinal parts.

Chemical analysis and bioactivity evaluation of the stem of Rheum tanguticum

Rhubarb (Dahuang in Chinese), belongs to the family Polygonaceae, genus Rheum, has been employed as a traditional Chinese medicinal material for a long time. Rheum officinale, R. palmatum, R. tanguticum, R. rhaponticum, R. ribes, R. franzenbachii, and R. rhabarbarum have been reported to possess many pharmacological active substances that are used to treat diseases. The petioles of R. rhabarbarum, R. ribes, R. rhaponticum are well-known vegetables in some regions of the world. Based on this folk application and active ingredients that may be present in stems, the present study was conducted to analyze the content of nutritional components and active secondary metabolism components, and evaluate the antimicrobial activity and antioxidant activity with prepared solvent extracts. Methods published by the Association of Official Analytical Chemistry (AOAC) was used to determine the total protein, crude fat, crude fiber, vitamin C, ash, and moisture contents. The results showed that the inflorescence stem of R. tanguticum contained a higher content of crude fiber (89.14%) and vitamin C (16.96%). The content of total protein and crude fat was 8.49% and 1.34% respectively. The results showed that the DPPH Radical Scavenging Activity of the extract had a concentration-dependent effect. The highest activity (83.4%) of the methanol extract sample was recorded at 1.0 mg/mL and the lowest activity, 15.56%, was recorded at 0.2 mg/mL. 0.485 mg/mL was needed to achieve a 50% toxicity. The flavonoid and total phenolic contents of the inflorescence stem of R. tanguticum were found to be 0.022 mg/g and 4.138 mg/g respectively. A concentration of 10 mg/mL successfully inhibited the growth of the pathogenic microorganisms, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis using the paper disc diffusion method. In summary, the results of this study confirm that the inflorescence stem of R. tanguticum contains some rich nutritional components and bioactive secondary metabolism components that are beneficial for human health as edible parts or processed products. The results of bioactivity evaluation in this study also showed that the inflorescence stem of R. tanguticum could be developed natural antioxidant and antibacterial agent as a potential resource. This may possibly provide a feasible solution for non-medicinal parts utilization.

Integrated analysis of the transcriptome, metabolome and analgesic effect provide insight into potential applications of different parts of Lindera aggregata

Lindera aggregata(L. aggregata) is a wild shrub growing in the forests of Southeast Asia, whose main bioactive constituents are isoquinoline alkaloids. They are widely used in food and pharmaceutical industries. The studies on the metabolites and biosynthesis pathways inL. aggregata remain poorly understood. Nine isoquinoline alkaloid compounds were identified by UPLC Triple TOF-MS/MS in this study. Except for N-methyllaurotetanine, most isoquinoline alkaloid compounds were widely distributed in various parts ofL. aggregata and accumulated preferentially in roots than in leaves. Transcriptome data showed that several isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes, such as TyrAT, PPO, TDC, and SOMT, were identified to play important roles in generating differential metabolites in roots and leaves ofL. aggregata. Concentration-dependent analgesic effects and toxic effects of them were demonstrated in zebrafish experiments, and the overall ranking was JRAL > TRAL > LAL. The results of this study would provide useful information for the synthesis mechanisms of isoquinoline alkaloids inL. aggregata, and provide valuable information for the application of traditional non-medicinal parts ofL. aggregata in food and pharmaceutical industries.

Determination of bioactive compounds in the nonmedicinal parts of Scrophularia ningpoensis using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry and chemometric analysis.

Although Scrophulariae Radix (root of Scrophularia ningpoensis) has received much attention, little is known about the nonmedicinal parts of S. ningpoensis. A comprehensive evaluation of the multibioactive constituents in the flowers, rhizomes, leaves, and stems of S. ningpoensis during different growth stages would be of value to fully understand the potential medicinal properties of all parts of the plant. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry was performed for accurately determining nine compounds in S. ningpoensis. The results indicated the content of total analytes in S. ningpoensis was in the order of flowers (81.82mg/g)>roots (31.95mg/g)>rhizomes (26.68mg/g)>leaves (16.86mg/g)>stems (14.35mg/g). The chemometric analysis showed that these plant parts were rich in iridoids and should not be discarded during the processing of medicinal materials. Dynamic accumulation analysis suggested that the early flowering stage was the optimum time for harvesting flowers and appropriate amounts of stems and leaves. Moreover, considering the accumulation of constituents and biomass of medicinal materials, the medicinal parts should be harvested around December with the rhizomes attached. This research provides a theoretical basis and scientific evidence for comprehensive development and utilization of S. ningpoensis resources.

Identification of xingren ancient name of "he" and "ren"

Ancient medical books have the names of drugs such as "xinghe" (, apricot pit), but there is only the name "xingren" (, almond) in modern medical books. On the basis of checking Chinese dictionary, exegetical books and ancient literature, it is believed that the ancients could clearly distinguish the difference between "he" (, pit) and "ren" (, nut) in actual use, and realized that the pit and the nut are different parts. This article takes almonds as the center to explore the similarities and differences of concepts and essences between the "he" (, pit) and "ren" (, nut) in ancient prescriptions. By investigating the usage of ancient medical literature, it can be seen that the actual medicinal part of the medicine "xinghe" (, apricot pit) means still almonds. And due to the imperfect market of ancient medicinal materials, there is no perfect medicinal materials processing industry, and it is necessary for doctors to remove part of the non-medicinal parts after obtaining the medicinal materials. Therefore, in ancient times, the "xinghe" (, apricot pit) and "xingren" (, almond) are actually different names for the same medicinal part.

Dynamic analysis of secondary metabolites in various parts of Scrophularia ningpoensis by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

The roots of Scrophularia ningpoensis are used as traditional medicines for thousands of years in China, nevertheless the stems and leaves were discarded as non-medicinal parts. Modern research have indicated the chemical constituents in the stems and leaves are similar to the identified in the roots, and the therapeutic effects of stems and leaves are superior to roots for some disease. In the study, the chemical constituents in roots, stems and leaves of S. ningpoensis were analyzed qualitatively by HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. 40 compounds including 17 iridoid glycosides, 15 phenylpropanoids and 8 flavonoids were identified. Meantime, the dynamic accumulations of six index constituents in various parts were measured by HPLC-DAD. The results indicated the S. ningpoensis stems contained high content of aucubin (30.09 mg/g) and harpagide (28.4 mg/g) in August, and the leaves contained high content of harpagoside (12.02 mg/g) in July. The study provides the basis for the full development and utilization of the resource of stems and leaves from S. ningpoensis.

Evaluación in vitro de las propiedades farmacológicas del extracto de metanol crudo y sus fracciones de partes aéreas Aconitum austrokoreense

Although the dried tuberous roots of Aconitum austrokoreense Koidz has been traditionally used to treat various diseases, its aerial part has been considered a useless by-product. In this study, we determined the antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities of the aerial part of A. austrokoreense to assess its potential benefit to human health. The antioxidant activity was analyzed using two different methods, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and reducing power assays and suggested that the crude methanol extract and butanol fraction possessed strong antioxidant activity. Additionally, the aqueous fraction exhibited not only remarkable antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria but also significant inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 cells and cytotoxic activity against human cancer cell lines. Furthermore, correlation analysis between the polyphenolic content and biological activities of the aerial part of A. austrokoreense suggests that phenolic compounds might be major contributors to the DPPH free radical scavenging and anti-cancer activities. Taken together, these findings suggest that the nonmedicinal parts of A. austrokoreense can also be used as a potential natural resource to develop effective dietary health supplements.

Phytochemical Information and Biological Activities of Quinolizidine Alkaloids in Sophora: A Comprehensive Review.

Quinolizidine alkaloids, a main form of alkaloids found in the genus Sophora, have been shown to have many pharmacological effects. This review aims to summarize the photochemical reports and biological activities of quinolizidine alkaloids in Sophora. The collected information suggested that a total of 99 quinolizidine alkaloids were isolated and detected from different parts of Sophora plants, represented by lupinine-type, cytisine-type, sparteine-type, and matrine-type. However, quality control needs to be monitored because it could provide basic information for the reasonable and efficient use of quinolizidine alkaloids as medicines and raw materials. The nonmedicinal parts may be promising to be used as a source of quinolizidine alkaloid raw materials and to reduce the waste of resources and environmental pollution. In addition, the diversity of chemical compounds based on the alkaloid scaffold to make a biological compound library needs to be extended, which may reduce toxicity and find new bioactivities of quinolizidine alkaloids. The bioactivities most reported are in the fields of antitumor activity along with the effects on the cardiovascular system. However, those studies rely on theoretical research, and novel drugs based on quinolizidine alkaloids are expected.

Separation of Five Flavonoids from Aerial Parts of Salvia Miltiorrhiza Bunge Using HSCCC and Their Antioxidant Activities.

The aerial parts of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, as the non-medicinal parts, are always discarded during harvesting, resulting in a huge waste of resources and environmental pressure. Due to the high flavonoid content and their antioxidant activities characteristics, the aerial parts of S. miltiorrhiza can be developed into natural antioxidants and used in foods. A high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) method, using a two-phase solvent system composed of tert-butyl methyl ether/n-butanol/acetonitrile/water (3:1:1:20, v/v), was the first to successfully isolate five flavonoids from the aerial parts of S. miltiorrhiza in one attempt, and separately categorized as rutin (1), isoquercitrin (2), kaempferol-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-glucopyranoside (3), kaempferol-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (4) and apigenin-7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (5) after identification. The purities of these plant isolates were 97.3%, 99.5%, 92.8%, 98.1% and 98.7%, respectively. All the flavonoids were identified by HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR. Compounds 3 and 5 were firstly isolated from the plant of S. miltiorrhiza. Results from antioxidant assays showed that rutin (1) and isoquercitrin (2) had higher antioxidant capacities compared to L-ascorbic acid as the positive control.

Natural wax from non-medicinal aerial part of Codonopsis pilosula as a biolubricant

Abstract To solve the problems of unsustainability and low biodegradability of mineral oil-based lubricants, an agro-waste to biolubricant supply chain was proposed. A plant wax was extracted from the non-medicinal part of Codonopsis pilosula, and its composition, thermal stability, and lubrication behaviours were investigated. The plant wax was composed mainly of the esters of fatty acids and triterpenes. The natural wax showed good thermal stability and lubricity over the wide temperature range of 25–150 °C and load range of 100–250 N. These intriguing properties indicate that this plant wax can be used as a sustainable biolubricant in an open system or in food processing industry. This work simultaneously provides a strategy to realise the utilisation of the abundant non-medicinal parts of medicinal herbs abandoned in China. The agro-waste to biolubricant supply chain conforms to the goal of cleaner production and technical processes.

Chemical characterization for flowers and lignified stems of Cistanche deserticola

As a holoparasitic plant, Cistanche deserticola is one of the two original sources of Cistanches Herba that is one of the most famous tonic medicines, in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The succulent stems are used for medicinal usage, whereas those lignified stems as well as flowers of less pharmacological importance are usually deserted, suggesting extensive resource waste. Herein, chemical characterization of the flowers along with lignified stems was conducted using HPLC-IT-TOF-MS aiming to explore the medicinal valu of those non-medicinal parts. Following ultrasonication-assisted extraction with 50% aqueous methanol, either flower or lignified stem extract was subjected onto LC-IT-TOF-MS equipped with a Capcell core ADME column to acquire both MS¹ and MSº spectra, and gradient elution was carried out with combinatory 0.1% aqueous formic acid and acetonitrile. Both positive and negative ionization polarities were deployed, resulting in the observation of 62 components, in total. Thirty-nine signals were structurally annotated, including phenylethanoid glycosides, iridoids, lignans and saccharides according to matching with authentic components and literature information, as well as applying the proposed mass fragmentation rules. A total of 62 ones were putatively identified. Above all, lignified stems and flowers should not the qualified substitutes for the succulent stems attributing to the significant differences between the medicinal portion and those parts with less medicinal values.

Research progress of chemical components and pharmacological effects of non-medicinal parts of Crocus sativus

The dried stigma of Crocus sativus (saffron) is a world&s precious spice and traditional medicine possessing plenty of pharmacological effects. Because the stigma represents only 7.4% of total weight of the fresh flower, when the stigma is separated from the flowers, large quantities of floral bio-residues are discarded. Accordingly, the utilization of the non-medicinal parts of saffron has drawn people&s attention. Studies showed that the non-medicinal parts of saffron were rich in flavonoids, phenolic acids, polysaccharides, et al. They were proved to have some pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant activity, antifungal activity, cytotoxicity, anti-inflammation and liver protection. The paper is to review the current research progress on the chemical components and pharmacological effects of the non-medicinal parts of saffron, which can serve as a reference for the further research and development of non-medicinal parts of saffron.

Geographical Authentication of Gentiana Rigescens by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Infrared Spectroscopy

ABSTRACTThe chemical characteristics of Gentiana rigescens are extremely variable due to their geographical origins which should be determined to evaluate the quality of this species. Different with other herbs with official tissue for classification materials, the geographical characterization of raw herbal materials on the basis of nonmedicinal parts is rarely discussed. Chromatographic active components were used as references to characterize the chemical profiles of samples from various geographical origins. Based on spectra data matrix of different botanical parts, the chemometric methods of partial least square discrimination analysis and support vector machine discrimination analysis were used to develop mathematical models to classify samples from different geographical origins. In terms of six active components, we found that significant differences were present in the tissue of G. rigescens based on geographical origins. In addition, the region with higher content of gentiopicroside was selected to be the optimal cultivated location. Chemometric results indicated that leaves were the optimal material for geographical characterization of G. rigescens with 100% accuracy by support vector machine while the accuracies of roots, stems, and flowers were 90.91, 96.10, and 97.01%, respectively. Partial least square discrimination analysis showed that accuracy values for roots, stems, leaves, and flowers were 35.65, 67.53, 76.62, and 50.75%, respectively, which also indicated that leaves are the optimal material. In conclusion, northwest Yunnan Province with higher content of gentiopicroside was selected to be the optimal cultivation location. Furthermore, leaves should be used for the most accurate geographical authentication.

Determination of six active ingredients in different parts of Belamcanda chinensis and Iris tectorum and their anti-inflammatory activity

In order to explore the anti-inflammatory activity and active ingredient basis from the leaves of the Belamcanda chinensis and Iris tectorum, we established an HPLC method for simultaneous determination of six anti-inflammatory active ingredient contents in the root of the B. chinensis and I. tectorum as well as their leaves with different dry methods, and the anti-inflammatory effects of the extract were studied by the mouse ear swelling experiment. The HPLC analysis was performed on an Agilent WondaSil© C₁₈-WR(4.6 mm×250 mm，5 μm)，with isocratic elution of acetonitrile-0.1% ortho-phosphoric acid solution at a flow rate of 1. 0 mL·min⁻¹ and the detection was carried out at 265 nm. The chemical compositions of the B. chinensis and I. tectorum are similar but the contents of them are obviously different. Both rhizome and leaf extract of B. chinensis and I. tectorum had inhibitory effects on inflamed mice induced by dimethylbenzene and had anti-inflammatory effects by animal experiment, which could lay the material and active foundation for the development of the non-medicinal parts of the B. chinensis and I. tectorum.

Standardization of production of process Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix slices

Notopterol, isoimperatorin, volatile oil and extract （water and ethanol) were used as the research objects in this study to investigate the effects of different softening method, slice thickness and drying methods on the quality of Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix slices, and the experimental data were analyzed by homogeneous distance evaluation method. The results showed that different softening, cutting and drying processes could affect the content of five components in Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix incisum. The best processing technology of Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix slices was as follows: non-medicinal parts were removed; mildewed and rot as well as moth-eaten parts were removed; washed by the flowing drinking water; stacked in the drug pool; moistening method was used for softening, where 1/8 volume of water was sprayed for every 1 kg of herbs every 2 h; upper part of herbs covered with clean and moist cotton, and cut into thick slices (2-4 mm) after 12 h moistening until appropriate softness, then received blast drying for 4 h at 50 ℃, and turned over for 2 times during the drying. The process is practical and provides the experimental basis for the standardization of the processing of Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix, with great significance to improve the quality of Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix slices.

Preliminary study on standardization of production and processing of Angelicae Sinensis Radix pieces

Study on the standardization of Chinese materia medica is an important action for modernization and globalization for traditional Chinese medicine. Standardization on the processing of Chinese herbal pieces is an important part in the study on standardization of Chinese materia medica, so it is of great significance to establish the technical processing standards of Angelicae Sinensis Radix pieces for improving its quality. In this study, single factor experiment was designed to optimize the softening, cutting and drying processes of Angelicae Sinensis Radix. With ferulic acid, Angelicae Sinensis Radix polysaccharide, volatile oil and extracts (water and ethanol) content as the quality index, the effects of different softening, cutting and drying processes on the contents of the five components in Angelicae Sinensis Radix were analyzed, and the normalized distance evaluation method was used to analyze the experimental data. The results showed that the content of five components in Angelicae Sinensis Radix was affected by different softening methods and drying temperature, but the thickness of slice had little effect on the content. The best preparation process for Angelicae Sinensis Radix was as follows: Non-medicinal parts were removed; mildewed and rot as well as moth-eaten parts were removed; washed by the flowing drinking water; stacked in the drug pool; moistening method was used for softening, where 125 mL water was sprayed for every 1 kg of herbs every 2.5 h; upper part of herbs covered with clean and moist cotton, and cut into thin slices (1-2 mm) after 15 h moistening until appropriate softness, with disk thickness of 1-2 cm, then received blast drying for 6 h at 55 ℃, and turned over for 2 times during the drying.