Study on the Content of Coumarin in Different Parts of Glehnia littoralis

The content of three kinds of coumarin (psomlen, imperatodn and isoimperatorin) in fruits, roots and leaves of Glehnia littoralis were analyzed by HPLC, while that in peeled roots and peel of roots were also analyzed. The results are as follows: (1) Three kinds of coumarin distributed in fruits, roots and leaves of Glehnia littoralis. The highest content of coumarin was in fruits, which was 0.6364 mg•g~(-1) ,the second was in roots, which was 0.0657 mg•g~(-1) ,the third was in peel of roots, which was 0.0312 mg•g~(-1), the forth was in leaves, which was 0.0151 mg•g~(-1) ,the lowest was in peeled roots,which was only 0.0081 mg•g~(-1). (2) Through peeled off and hot water,the total content of coumarin significantly declined in roots. Compared to the content of coumarin and that of three kinds of coumarin in roots harvested in the same period,the total content of coumarin,the content of psoralen ,the content of imperatorin and that of isoimperatorin in roots being peeled off dropped 87. 7％, 100％ ,82.76％ ,85.25％, respec-tively. (3) The total content of coumarin, the content of psoralen,the content of imperatorin and that of isoimperatorin in peel of roots was 47. 42％ ,31.37％ ,51.54％ and 53. 28％, respectively being compared to those in roots having their peel. Considering the full use of coumarin, roots of Glehnia littoralis should be dried in the shade and kept their peel when used in medicine. Leaves and peel of roots,being the source of extraction of coumarin,shouldn’t be delayed in production. Fruits, having much coumarin, may be used as the source of extraction of coumarin too.