OBJECTIVETo study on the effect of different processing methods on the contents of seven major constituents in wild and cultivated Paeonia lactiflora, gallic acid, catechin, albiflorin, paeoniflorin, pentagalloylglucose, benzoic acid and paeonol, in order to provide reference basis for different efficacy and formation mechanism of Paeonia Radix Rubra and Paeonia Radix Alba.

METHODWild and cultivated P. lactiflora were dealt with by four processing methods, direct drying, drying after boiling, drying after decorticating and boiling, and drying after boiling and decorticating. HPLC was use to simultaneously determine the contents of seven chemical constituents.

RESULTWild P. lactiflora showed notable higher content of paeoniflorin and catechin than cultivated P. lactiflora, whereas cultivated P. lactiflora showed higher content of albiflorin than wild P. lactiflora. Both of them were less affected by process methods in above three constituents. Drying after boiling, drying after decorticating and boiling, and drying after boiling and decorticating methods reduced the content of benzoic acid and paeonol to trace in both wild and cultivated P. lactiflora. Clustering analysis results showed that all processing methods assembled wild and cultivated P. lactiflora in 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONThe content differences of Paeonia Radix Rubra and Paeonia Radix Alba are mainly caused by their own differences and less affected by processing methods.