Investigation of dynamic accumulation and regularity of nine glycosides and saccharides in Rehmannia glutinosa by rapid quantitative analysis technology

Abstract In the process of planting and harvesting of Rehmannia glutinosa , only the underground part is used, and a large number of stems and leaves that are considered non‐medicinal parts are usually discarded. Recent studies have shown that the chemical components in the leaves are similar to those identified in the roots. In this study, we selected leaves and roots from Rehmannia glutinosa at different growth stages and leaves from different cultivation regions to investigate the dynamic accumulation of three kinds of glycosides (catalpol, acteoside, and ajugol), six kinds of carbohydrates (rhamnose, fructose, sucrose, melibiose, stachyose, and verbascose), and acidic and neutral polysaccharides via rapid quantitative analysis technology, including ultra high performance liquid chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry, high‐performance liquid chromatography, and UV spectroscopy. The results showed that the Rehmannia glutinosa leaves also contained higher content of catalpol (3.81∼24.51 mg/g), ajugol (0.55∼10.23 mg/g), acteoside (1.34∼21.16 mg/g), monosaccharide/ oligosaccharides (7.71∼120.73 mg/g), and polysaccharides (5.63∼15.57%). In this study, we developed a new rapid and simple method for determination to clarify the distribution and dynamic accumulation of nine glycosides and saccharides in Rehmannia glutinosa leaves to provide a scientific basis for the discovery, development, and utilization of the resource value of Rehmannia glutinosa leaves.