ABSTRACT
To reveal the variation of polysaccharides and alcohol-soluble extractives of rhizomes Polygonatum cyrtonema from different producing areas,growing years,and harvesting seasons,25 wild samples from the main producing areas( provenances) of China and 6 artificial cultivated samples were collected and detected. The 6-year-old rhizomes of the artificial cultivation were gathered from Qingyuan,Zhejiang every 2 months during 2016 to 2017. Anthrone-sulfuric acid method and hot-dip method were used to determine the contents of polysaccharides and alcohol-soluble extractives respectively. The results showed that provenances,age sections and harvesting seasons affected the quality of Polygonati Rhizoma significantly. The content of polysaccharides from different provenances varied from 6. 96% to 20. 09%,and the content of extractives varied from 32. 08% to 78. 99%. The polysaccharides and extractives' content were the highest at 2-year-age sections,active constituents accumulation peaked in the third year,then decreased significantly with age increasing. The contents of polysaccharides and extractives accumulated were highest when aerial parts,up to 15. 39% and 78. 99% respectively. In summary,the activity and consistency fluctuated with producing areas. while such phenomenon indicated a huge potential of breeding. Additionally,the results showed that collecting Polygonati Rhizoma in February or August as herbal textual recorded were unreasonable,neither in spring or autumn according to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia( 2015 edition). Because these collecting periods didn't have the highest contents of polysaccharides and extractives. Therefore,based on phenological options,the rhizomes of P. cyrtonema should be harvested when the aboveground parts had just withered.