OBJECTIVETo study the dynamic accumulation of the effective components and biomass of Coptis chinensis, so to provide the experimental date of optimal harvest time for C. chinensis in Hongya county.

METHODThe samples of three to five years were gathered from the same field and time. The biomass was analyzed by weighed. The jatrorrhizine, columbamine, epiberberine, coptisine, palmatine and berberine in C. chinensis were analyzed by HPLC.

RESULTWith the increasing of years of growth, the rootstalk biomass of C. chinensis was increasing continuously. The biomass growth of four-year-old C. chinensis was the fastest in the year. From September to October was the fastest season of the growth of rootstalk. The dynamic accumulation in rootstalk C. chinensis had regularity in the certain extend. The contents of six alkaloids and all alkaloids in 4-year-old C. chinensis were more than that in 3-years-old and 5-year-old. The contents of six alkaloids were mostly highest in August. From July to December, there is no significant difference in the contents of columbamine, epiberberine, coptisine, palmatine, berberine and all alkaloids in 4-years-old C. chinensis.

CONCLUSIONAccording to the biomass and the accumulation pattern of the effective components in the C. chinensis, the optimal harvest time is from September to October of 4-year-old C. chinensis.