Quality Difference Analysis of Raw and Salted‐Steamed Products of Morinda officinalis Based on Color and Component Correlation

ABSTRACT Morinda officinalis (MO) is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine for tonifying kidney yang and contains a large number of oligosaccharide components. Its salt‐steamed products are widely used in clinical practice. However, the current standards are not very clear in distinguishing between the raw and processed products in terms of appearance and quality. In this study, ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) combined with mass spectrometry (MS) was used to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze MO and salt‐steamed MO (SSMO). Three differential components were screened out by chemometrics, and the variation patterns of oligosaccharides during the steaming process were clarified. A colorimeter was used to evaluate the overall color of MO during the salt‐steaming process. The correlation analysis indicated a notable connection between color metrics and chemical components. According to the results of this study, color values can be used as an effective tool to predict the content of components in raw and salt‐processed MO. In conclusion, this research offers novel concepts and approaches for the identification and quality assessment of MO processed products.