Comparative Research on Effective Components and Toxic Components of Asari Radix Et Rhizoma form Different Areas

OBJECTIVE To study the difference of effective components and toxic components of Asari Radix et Rhizoma form different areas. METHODS Asari Radix et Rhizoma from six areas(Fengcheng, Tonghua, Antu, Benxi, Dunhua and Harbin) were used as experimental materials. The contents of total aristolochic acid and L-tyrosine were detected by colorimetry method. HPLC was used to determine the contents of aristolochic acid A and asarinin. The types and contents of volatile oil were analyzed by GC-MS method. RESULTS The areas with highest content of total aristolochic acid, aristolochic acid A, L-tyrosine and asarinin were Benxi, Fengcheng, Harbin and Fengcheng, respectively. The areas with lowest contents of the 4 components were Harbin, Antu, Antu and Tonghua. Essential oils of asarum in different areas contained 73 kinds of compounds, and the content of safrole, methyleugenol, myristicin and elemi were higher. The content of safrole in Asari Radix et Rhizoma in the sequence of decending were Tonghua, Fengcheng, Benxi, Antu, Dunhua and Harbin; the content of methyleugenol in the sequence decending were Fengcheng, Tonghua, Benxi, Antu, Dunhua and Harbin; the content of myristicin in the sequence of decending was Dunhua, Antu, Fengcheng, Tonghua, Benxi and Harbin; the content of elemicin from high to low were as follows: Fengcheng, Tonghua, Antu, Benxi, Dunhua and Harbin. CONCLUSION The results reveal that the contents of total aristolochic acid, L-tyrosine, aristolochic acid A and asarinin were significantly different in different areas(P<0.05).