Correlation between Colour Traits and Intrinsic Quality of Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum
Wenjie He,
Ying Sun,
Sai Zhang,
Jiawen Li,
Jixing Feng,
Yun Yang,
Hui Meng,
Zheng Zhang
Affiliations
Wenjie He
Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
Ying Sun
Hainan Hospital of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Sanya 572000, China
Sai Zhang
Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
Jiawen Li
Key Laboratory of Resources Conservation and Development of Southern Medicine of Hainan Province & Hainan Branch of the Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Haikou 570311, China
Jixing Feng
Key Laboratory of Resources Conservation and Development of Southern Medicine of Hainan Province & Hainan Branch of the Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Haikou 570311, China
Yun Yang
Key Laboratory of Resources Conservation and Development of Southern Medicine of Hainan Province & Hainan Branch of the Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Haikou 570311, China
Hui Meng
Key Laboratory of Resources Conservation and Development of Southern Medicine of Hainan Province & Hainan Branch of the Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Haikou 570311, China
Zheng Zhang
Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen is traditionally referred to as „Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum” in traditional Chinese medicine. Its quality is typically assessed subjectively based on colour and texture observations and lacks a universal grading system. Our objective was to establish a relationship between heartwood colour and the content of key constituents, including total flavonoids, six specific flavonoids, alcohol-soluble extracts, and volatile oils, to assess their impact on heartwood quality. Substantial correlations were observed between the colour depth (L*), red–green direction (a*), and yellow–blue direction (b*), as well as the content of the extract, volatile oil, total flavonoids, naringenin, formononetin, pinocembrin, and isoliquiritigenin. Specifically, a* was correlated with the extract, total flavonoids, and isoliquiritigenin, whereas b* was correlated with the extract, volatile oil, total flavonoids, naringenin, formononetin, pinocembrin, and isoliquiritigenin. The results suggested that L*, b*, and chemical composition indices, such as extract, volatile oil, total flavonoids, and naringenin, could serve as primary criteria for classifying the quality of medicinal materials. This is consistent with market classification based on colour and texture, which facilitates material identification and guides the cultivation, harvesting, and processing of D. odorifera. This study provides a scientific foundation for its future development and use.
