This study was aimed to investigate the effect of Xiao-Jian-Zhong decoction and its disassembled prescriptions on the content determination of paeoniflorin . A gradient HPLC system was used in the quantitative analysis of paeoniflorin on Diamonsil RP-C18 column ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm , 5 μm ) with the mixed solvents of acetonitrile and water . The flow rate was 1 . 0 mL?min-1 and the detection wavelength was 230 nm . The results showed that the content of paeoniflorin had great changes comparing with X iao-Jian-Zhong decoction with its different disassembled prescriptions . The analysis of variance showed that the difference among groups was sig-nificant (P < 0.05). SNKq analysis showed that there was significant difference between groups 6 and 1, 6 and 2 , 6 and 5 ( P < 0 . 05 ) . But no significant difference was existed among group 6 , 3 and 4 ( P > 0 . 05 ) . It was concluded that liquorice and cassia twigs were helpful to the dissolution of paeoniflorin in the decoction . But jujube and ginger had few effects . The content of paeoniflorin in group 5 which does not include maltose was the highest among all groups . It may be due to the fact that paeoniflorin was wrapped in the maltose of X iao-Jian-Zhong decoction .