Objective:To compare the contents and compositions of volatile oil from rhizome of Curcuma wenyujin under different degrees of drying. Method:The volatile oil yields were obtained by steam distillation and the compositions of the volatile oil were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Result:①The volatile oil yield showed a inverse V tendency under drying in the shade

and the peak value (6.7 μg·g-1) reached at 30 d of drying in the shade. ②There were no obvious changes in the compositions of the volatile oil in the first 30 d of drying

but after that

the types or contents of low-boiling point volatile components were decreased significantly. ③The contents of some chemical compositions such as curzerene did not change significantly in the process of drying in the shade. ④But some effective chemical compositions such as β-elemene

neocurdione and 1

2-bis(1-methylethyl)-benzene showed an increasing trend. Conclusion:These results showed that drying treatment may have an important effect on the yield and quality of the volatile oil from rhizome of C. wenyujin. In the practical production

proper drying shall be carried out according to the application purposes. This study has laid a theoretical foundation for the initial processing of C. wenyujin.