Evaluation and Comparison of Bioactive Constituents of Artemisiae argyi Folium Collected at Different Developmental Stages

BACKGROUND: Artemisiae argyi Folium (AF) has been used as herbal medicine and a food supplement in China and other Asian countries. There is no report about whether the different developmental stages can influence the bioactive compositions of AF. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the dynamic changes of bioactive constituents of AF collected at different developmental stages. METHOD: The volatile and nonvolatile bioactive components in AF collected at six different developmental stages were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and (GC-MS) high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Chemometrics analysis, including principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA), were further performed to compare and discriminate the AF samples based on the analysis results. RESULTS: The results indicated the bioactive compositions in AF underwent obvious changes during the period of growth. The volatile compositions of AF collected at different stages were the same, while their relative contents were different. Six volatile compounds could be regarded as chemical markers, which were responsible for the intergroup differences. The phenolic profiles of AF at different stages indicated a similar composition when the content levels of the main phenolic compounds were variated. CONCLUSIONS: The comparative results will facilitate better understanding of dynamic changes of bioactive constituents of AF samples collected at different stages and will provide useful information for cultivation and utilization of this herbal medicine. HIGHLIGHTS: The volatile and nonvolatile bioactive components in AF collected at different developmental stages were evaluated and compared for the first time.