Chemical Fingerprinting of Angelica Sinensis at Different Growth Stages by ~1H NMR

The chemical fingerprints of 27 Angelica sinensis samples harvested at different growth stages were analyzed by 1H NMR.Ferulic acid,ligustilide and angelica polysaccharide,three of the active constituents of Angelica sinensis,were identified,with their 1H chemical shifts assigned.The relative peak areas of characteristic peaks were used to descript the changes of chemical contents in Angelica sinensis at different growth stages.The results showed that the levels of three constituents had little changes during the first year.More changes were observed in year two and year three.During the growth cycle of Angelica sinensis,the changes of angelica polysaccharide were greater than those of the other two constituents,which were proven to be the active ingredients involved in metabolism.It is concluded that 1H NMR fingerprinting and principle component analysis can be used to analyze the active ingredient of Angelica sinensis at different growth periods.