ABSTRACT
Objective To analyze and evaluate the chemical components from flowers of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus, and to investigate the potential value of the medicinal plant resources. Methods UV-Vis spectrophotometry was used to determine the total contents of polysaccharides and water-soluble protein. HPLC-PDA/ELSD method was used to determine monosaccharides and oligosaccharides and GC-MS method was used to determine volatile components and the fatty acids in the flowers of A. membranaceus var. mongholicus. UPLC-TQ-MS method was used to analyze the nucleosides and amino acids. Results The flowers of A. membranaceus var. mongholicus contain abundant polysaccharides (47.02 mg/g), water-soluble protein (470.66 mg/g), fructose (45.46 mg/g), glucose (8.71 mg/g), and sucrose (1.05 mg/g). There were 32 kinds of volatile components detected in the flowers of A. membranaceus var. mongholicus, in which oxy-derivatives were the main components. In addition, six nucleosides and 15 amino acids were detected in the flowers of A. membranaceus var. mongholicus, and their total contents were 2.77 mg/g and 6.52 mg/g, respectively. Eight fatty acids in the flowers of A. membranaceus var. mongholicus were also detected, in which myristic acid, palmitic acid, and oleic acid were the main components. Conclusion This study investigated the composition and content of various nutritional components of the flower of A. membranaceus var. mongholicus, which provides a scientific basis for its utilization and development.