Comparative study on comprehensive quality of Xinhui chenpi by two main plant propagation techniques.

Xinhui chenpi (XHCP), the sun-dried peel of the mandarin orange, Citrus reticulata "Chachi, " is the most famous crude drug, as well as a traditional seasoning in Chinese cooking. The main cultivation methods of XHCP are cutting and grafting, but it is generally considered that the quality of XHCP after cutting is superior to that obtained from plants propagated by graftings, which had a negative impact on the marketing of the finished product. In our study, a total of 25 samples of XHCP obtained from plants cultivated by either traditional methods (i.e., from cuttings) or by grafting were collected to compare the contents of four types of metabolites (essential oils, flavonoids, synephrine, and total polysaccharides) as well as antioxidant activity. The results revealed that the quality of XHCP did not decline after cutting, and marked individual differences between XHCP samples, even when prepared from plants grown in the same way....