Major Chemical Components in Rhizome of Native Polygonatum Species in Korea

This study was done to accept basic data on chemical components in rhizome of native Polygonatum species in Korea. In mineral contents of their rhizome, total nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium concentration were higher in Polygonatum inflatum, P. humile and P. odoratum var. pluriflorum 1 than the other species in all the sampling dates. P. odoratum var. pluriflorum 1, P. odoratum var. pluriflorum 2 and P. inflatum showed relatively higher iron and mananese contents but P. odoratum var. pluriflorum 1 and P. stenophyllum did in copper content on November 20. Total sugar was acculated in later growth stages, although P. stenophyllum had the highest content but P. lasianthum var. coreanum had the lowest in all the sampling dates. Protein content was the highest in P. lasianthum var. coreanum but the lowest in P. stenophyllum in all the sampling dates. The major amino acids in their rhizomes were arginine followed by glutamic acid, and total and essential amino acid content were abundant in P. lasianthum var. coreanum and P. humile.