To explore the transformation mechanisms of free gastrodin and combined gastrodin before and after steaming of Gastrodia elata (G. elata), a fresh G. elata sample was processed by the traditional steaming method prescribed by Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 version), and HPLC-ESI-TOF/MS method was used to identify the chemical composition in steamed and fresh G. elata. Finally, 25 components were identified in G. elata based on the characteristic fragments of the compounds and the changes of the 25 components of fresh and steamed G. elata were compared by the relative content. Hydrolysis experiments and enzymatic hydrolysis experiments of 10 monomer compounds simulating the G. elata steaming process were carried out for the first time. As a result, hydrolysis experiments proved that free gastrodin or p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol could be obtained by breaking ester bond or ether bond during the steaming process of G. elata. Enzymatic experiments showed that steaming played an important role in the protection of gastrodin, confirming the hypothesis that steaming can promote the conversion of chemical constituents of G. elata—inhibiting enzymatic degradation. This experiment clarified the scientific mechanism of the traditional steaming method of G. elata and provided reference for how to apply G. elata decoction to some extent.

Armillaria mellea is a traditional Chinese medicinal and edible mushroom. Many cultured products of A. mellea have been used to develop commercial medicines in recent years. The chemical composition and activities of the major bioactive chemical components—polysaccharides—may be different because of differences in the raw materials used. Four polysaccharides (SP, CMP, CFBP and CFMP) were obtained from wild sporophores and cultured products (including mycelia, fermentation broth and fermentation mixture) of A. mellea. Their yields, carbohydrate contents, monosaccharide compositions, FT-IR spectra, NMR spectroscopy and antioxidant activities were investigated. All of the polysaccharides were composed of xylose, glucose and galactose without protein. Glucose was the dominant monosaccharide in SP, CMP and CFMP, whereas galactose was the dominant monosaccharide in CFBP. SP and CMP showed higher scavenging DPPH^• and ABTS^•+ activities and reducing power among four polysaccharides. The carbohydrate content and corresponding glucose percentage were positive influences on the antioxidant activities, whereas the corresponding xylose and galactose percentage were negative influences. A. mellea polysaccharides are potential natural antioxidants. Polysaccharides from cultured products, especially mycelia, are good substitutes for SP and are also potential sources for both dietary supplements and food industries.

Lonicera japonica flos is widely used as a pharmaceutical resource and a commonly-employed ingredient in healthy food, soft beverages and cosmetics in China. Sometimes, sulfur fumigation is used during post-harvest handling. In this study, a comprehensive comparison of the chemical profile between sun-dried and sulfur-fumigated samples was conducted by HPLC fingerprints and simultaneous quantification of nine constituents, including secologanic acid, along with another eight usually-analyzed markers. Secologanic acid was destroyed, and its sulfonates were generated, whereas caffeoylquinic acids were protected from being oxidized. The residual sulfur dioxide in sulfur-fumigated samples was significantly higher than that in sun-dried samples, which might increase the potential incidence of toxicity to humans. Meanwhile, compared with sun-dried samples, sulfur-fumigated samples have significantly stronger antioxidant activity, which could be attributed to the joint effect of protected phenolic acids and flavonoids, as well as newly-generated iridoid sulfonates.