This study investigated cultivated Astragalus from three major production regions-Shanxi, Neimenggu, and Gansu-using a pseudo-targeted metabolomics approach based on UHPLC-Q-TRAP-MS. After systematic optimization of collision energy (CE) and declustering potential (DP) parameters, relative quantification of 109 compounds in 16 batches was performed. Combined with multivariate statistical analysis, chemical differences among samples from different origins were assessed. The results revealed certain differences in the overall chemical composition among the three origins. Approximately 60% of the detected components showed no significant content differences across regions, while the differential compounds-primarily secondary metabolites-were mainly observed between Shanxi Astragalus and samples from Neimenggu and Gansu. Compared to Neimenggu and Gansu samples, Shanxi Astragalus was characterized by higher contents of acylated flavonoid glycosides and flavonoid glycosides, along with lower levels of flavonoid aglycones. Thus, the flavonoid glycoside/aglycone ratio can serve as a reliable indicator to distinguish Shanxi Astragalus. These characteristic differences may serve as potential markers for geographical traceability and authenticity evaluation of cultivated Astragalus, providing a scientific basis for constructing a quality assessment system.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |