Contents of main components according to growth period in codonopsis lanceolata (Siebold & zuccarini) benth. & hook.f. ex trautvetter

Abstract

Background: The roots of Codonopsis lanceolata are widely used in natural traditional medicine, and cane be eaten either raw or cooked. This study was conducted to investigate changes in the content of the main components of C. lanceolata roots during different stages of growth. Methods and Results: To determine the changes in the main components of C. lanceolata at different growth stages, we analyzed the composition of six component types (saponins, amino acids, inorganic matter, free sugars, fatty acids, and organic acids) in C. lanceolata roots during three growth periods [dormancy (winter), high growth (spring) and later growth (autumn)]. We accordingly found that the contents of all six assessed component types tended to be high in January during the peroid of dormancy. Conclusions: Our finding that the contents of the main constituents in C. lanceolata roots are high in January during dormancy are consistent with the general practice of harvesting roots during the authmn to winter peroid prior to the period of high growth in spring. ? 2021, Korean Society of Medicinal Crop Science. All rights reserved.