Screening Tests on the Constituents of the Xanthoxylum Drugs

산초류 생약의 성분 검색

The pericarpia of Xanthoxylum piperitum D.C., X. coreanum $N_{AKAI}$ and Fagara mandshurica are used as an identical botanical drug in Korea. Although it is difficult to differentiate these three drugs on the basis of morphological characteristics, they can be easily identified by applying ethyl ether extracts of them on a silica gel thin-layer plate, using several developing solvent systems and color reagents, and comparing the component spots. The pericarpium of F. mandshurica gave the most spots and that of X. piperitum the least, which is also different from that of X. coreanum.