• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.459-464
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• 2002

This experiment was conducted to know the changes of bioactive component content in four-year-old peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) root with various drying methods such as room temperature drying, $50^{\circ}C$ heat-air drying, room temperature drying after $80^{\circ}C$ boiling water treatment and freeze drying, and to establish the optimum drying method for high quality production of Paeoniae Radix. For this purpose, the contents of paeoniflorin, albiflorin and five phenolic compounds (gallic acid, benzoic acid, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin and (+)-taxifolin 3-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside) in peony root with different drying methods were analyzed by RP-HPLC. The contents of paeoniflorin, albiflorin and (+)-taxifolin 3-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside at room temperature drying were higher than in the other drying methods and that of gallic acid at 8$0^{\circ}C$ boiling water treatment was the highest among that of all drying methods. In the case of freeze drying, the contents of (+)-catechin, benzoic acid and (-)-epicatechin were the highest among those of all drying methods. As increase of drying and treatment temperature, the contents of paeoniflorin, albiflorin, (+)-taxifolin 3-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyrano-side, (+)-catechin and benzoic acid were decreased.