Astragalus membranaceus, a traditional qi-tonifying herb, exhibits quality that is strongly influenced by ecological factors of the production region, cultivation practices, and processing techniques. Significant differences in morphology, chemical composition, and bioactivity are observed among different production areas: A. membranaceus from Hunyuan, Shanxi is characterized by high levels of calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, that from Longxi, Gansu is enriched in astragaloside, while samples from Inner Mongolia contain higher concentrations of isoflavonoids. These variations arise from the intricate coupling between ecological factors (such as soil elemental composition, climate, and microbial communities) and genetic background, with associated plants and secondary metabolite regulatory networks serving as key mechanisms. Cultivation patterns exert considerable influence, as wild-simulated cultivation can approximate wild-type quality; appropriate planting density, water and nutrient management, and arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation effectively enhance the accumulation of bioactive constituents. Harvesting and processing are equally critical: autumn harvest, hot air drying at 60 ℃, and honey-frying processing maximize retention of active compounds and improve immunomodulatory activity. Additionally, previous studies have examined chemical changes during processing and identified astragaloside and calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside as marker compounds, establishing quality control strategies from raw materials to final products. The 2025 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, which focus on single constituents, are insufficient to fully reflect the synergistic effects of constituent clusters. Expansion of cultivation areas exacerbates quality variability, and continuous cropping can disrupt soil microbial ecology. Future approaches should integrate multi-omics analyses and intelligent monitoring to develop a dynamic quality evaluation system based on bioactive constituents, and employ “soil–climate–genotype” matching models to optimize cultivation in non-authentic production regions, thereby promoting high-quality development of the A. membranaceus industry.

Astragali Radix  /  authenticity  /  different production regions  /  ecological cultivation  /  processing methods