Comparison of bioactive components production in Zanthoxylum nitidum taproots from different regions in southern China.

Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC. is a traditional Chinese herb from southern China and its 3-4 year old roots can be used in medicine. However, there is a scarcity of study on the differences in the content of different regions of the roots, as well as comprehensive evaluations of Z. nitidum from the main production regions in China. This study used ultra-high performance liquid chromatograph (UPLC), triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (QQQ-MS/MS), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to detect and identify the bioactive components from different parts and eight regions of 4-year-old roots of Z. nitidum. Our results revealed that the compounds' types and quantities were similar in root bark and root wood, but the alkaloids' amount in the root bark was substantially higher. The contents of four alkaloids in samples from Guangdong were higher than that in Guangxi Province. Meanwhile, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the samples from different regions were effectively identified and evaluated based on alkaloids and other bioactive substances. Our findings have significant implications for Z. nitidum harvesting and usage, as well as origin identification, quality evaluation, and sensible use of Z. nitidum resources.