RESUMO
Objective: To compare the chemical constituents difference between the cultivated Astragali Radix (AR) and those grown in traditional way in Hengshan area of northern Shanxi Province. Methods: 1H-NMR based metabolomics approach combined with content determination based on HPLC-UV-ELSD was used to compare the primary and secondary metabolites in AR of different growing pattern. Results: Twenty-five metabolites were identified in the NMR spectra, and the major metabolites in the aqueous methanol fraction were the primary metabolites, such as amino acids and organic acids, while the fatty acids derivatives were present in the chloroform fraction; Multivariate analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the two kinds of AR for the primary metabolites, but 8, 2'-dihydroxy-7, 4'-dimethoxyisoflavan was only detected in AR grown in traditional way. The results of content determination of six major isoflavonoids and four saponins revealed that the contents of calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, ononin, and astragaloside III were higher in AR grown in the traditional way, but astragaloside I was significantly higher in the cultivated AR. Conclusion: The major differences between the cultivated AR and those grown in traditional way are in the secondary metabolites, which indicates that the growing pattern is important for the biosynthesis and accumulation of secondary metabolite in AR. The results lay the scientific foundation for the rational utilization of the AR resources in Hengshan Area.