RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To study the monthly dynamics of physical and chemical indexes in Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix(ABR, the dried root of Achyranthes bidentata Bl.) stored in simple and cool warehouses. METHODS: ABR was stored in simple and cool warehouses for 27 months. The color was observed. The water content was determined based on the drying method. The contents of β-ecdysone and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) were determined by HPLC method. The accumulation of temperature difference between the simple and cool warehouses was evaluated with a relative temperature cumulation (RTC) method. The monthly dynamics of physical and chemical indexes of ABR was analyzed with RTC. RESULTS: As the extension of storage time, the ABR stored in the simple warehouse showed deeper color and harder texture, but the ABR stored in the cool warehouse still had soft texture without significant color change. The contents of β-ecdysone in ABR stored in the two warehouses both gradually decreased and dropped to lower than the limit of 0.030% ruled by China Pharmacopoeia when being stored for up to 27 months. The contents of 5-HMF of ABR stored in the two warehouses both increased and were higher for the sample in the simple warehouse than that in the cool warehouse. CONCLUSION: The concept of RTC is put forward and used to study the monthly dynamics of chemical constituents in traditional Chinese medicine during storage for the first time. The physical and chemical indexes of ABR varies during storage. Two years of storage time of ABR is suggested.