Abstract: Objective: This study compared the differences in the functional components of the root head, taproot, and tail root of Codonopsis pilosula. Methods: The ethanol extracts of each of the three parts were fingerprinted by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and analyzed for lobetyolin content. Moreover, the sugar content was determined by the phenol sulfuric acid method, and the amino acid composition was determined using an amino acid analyzer. Results: The fingerprints of the ethanol extracts from C. pilosula showed a similarity greater than 0.90. A total of 24 chromatographic peaks common to these fingerprints were matched, indicating that the characteristic components of the ethanol extracts were similar. The mean water extract contents in the root head, taproot, and tail root of C. pilosula were 46.05%, 70.26%, and 73.01%, respectively. The mean ethanol extract contents were 48.64%, 72.71%, and 76.71%, respectively. The mean lobetyolin contents were 0.12%, 0.06%, and 0.06%, respectively. The mean total sugar contents were 25.71%, 36.39%, and 39.06%, respectively. The mean polysaccharide contents were 11.83%, 15.74%, and 16.55%, respectively. The mean oligosaccharide contents were 7.85%, 13.39%, and 14.59%, respectively. The mean contents of total amino acids were 8.456 7, 4.285 5, and 4.353 9 mg/g, respectively. The mean contents of fat-soluble substances were 0.20%, 0.15%, and 0.15%, respectively. Conclusion: The functional factors of the taproot and tail root of C. pilosula were similar, and the contents of alcohol extract, water extract, lobetyolin, total sugar, polysaccharide, oligosaccharide, amino acid, and fat-soluble substances were almost the same between the two parts. The contents of lobetyolin, amino acids and fat-soluble substances in the root head were higher than those in the taproot and tail root, whereas the opposite was true for the contents of alcohol extract, water extract, and carbohydrate. The results showed that the medicinal and nutritional components of the taproot and tail root of C. pilosula were similar, indicating that they had similar medicinal and food values. The root head, which is discarded as a waste, contained high levels of medicinal components such as lobetyolin and nutrient components such as amino acids, indicating that it had medicinal and food values.

Key words: Codonopsis pilosula; root head; taproot; tail root; functional components; fingerprint