Study on the Content Determination and Accumulation Law of Saponins in Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis

The contents of saponins I, II, VI and VII of the 7-year-old Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis in Pu'er Jingdong were determined by HPLC. The content of saponins in different growth years of rhizome, stem, leaves, flowers and seeds were determined and the HPLC fingerprint of each part was established. The variation of 1-year-old rhizome saponin content of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis in different growth periods in January, March, May, July, September and November was measured. The results show that the content of total saponins in rhizome was significantly higher than that in other organs. There were significant differences(P < 0.05) in the content of saponins among different growth years rhizome. The saponin content from high to low as follows: 2a rhizome, 3a rhizome, 4–5 a rhizome, 1a rhizome, leaf, seed, bud, stem, fibrous root, pericarp and flower. The content of total saponins in leaves was significantly higher than that in seeds, pericarps, stems and other tissues except rhizomes. The variation of total saponin content in 1-age-old rhizomes of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis in different growth seasons is January > March > May and September > July and November. It is suggested that the rhizome of should be harvested at the age of 2a and the dormancy period from January to March.