Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Polygonatum kingianum processed by the traditional method of “Nine Cycles of Steaming and Sun-Drying”
Yanhui Guan, Zhengwei Liang, Ruoyu Li, Yunjiao Guo, Lingjing Dang, Fu-Ming Gong, Susu Xu, Teng Wang, Nianguo Bo, Shengchao Yang, Weiwei Jiang, Guanghui Zhang, Ming Zhao, Jun‐Wen Chen
Abstract
Polygonatum kingianum Coll. et (Hemsl) is a famous Chinese traditional food and medicine analogous plant. The rhizome of P. kingianum showed a decrease in levels of alkaloids, amino acids and derivatives, terpenoids, and an increase in organic acid and saccharides when it was processed by the traditional method of “Nine Cycles of Steaming and Sun-Drying”. The relative content of 341 metabolites were increased (fold change, FC > 2; variable importance in projection, VIP > 1 and P-value, P < 0.05); while 456 metabolites were decreased (FC < 0.5, VIP > 1, and P < 0.05). The changes in chemical components result in a decrease in numb taste and an increase in sweetness. The increased antioxidant activity was observed in the processed samples. Together, this work has advanced the mechanism of reducing numb taste and enhancing antioxidant activity in the resource plants, such as P. kingianum, processed by the traditional method.