Abstract: Screening and evaluating the germplasm resources is important for the standardization of cultivation and planting of Radix Astragali (RA). In this study, UV-Vis spectrophotometry and HPLC were used to determine the contents of total flavonoids, calycosin and formononetin in various RAs collected from different sources introduced to Shanxi. The results showed that the contents of the above components were not only related to their culture styles and origins, but also closely related to the germplasms. Astragalus germplasm from Shanxi and Shaanxi were suitable to be widely planted in the local regions, while those introduced from Gansu, Inner Mongolia, and Shanxi to Hunyuan, Shanxi had a higher degree of flavonoids than those from their corresponding original regions, hence were suitable for large introduction. The correlation analysis further showed that the level of calycosin was significantly correlated to the level of formononetin. The study will be informative to the standardization planting, excellent breed screening, and optimization of quality evaluation system of the medical plant.

Key words: Radix Astragali, introduction and cultivation, quality evaluation, flavonoids