Objective: To identify chemical components rapidly in raw and processed products of Polygalae Radix by high performance liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-TOF/MS) and discuss chemical components change in Polygalae Radix before and after being processed. Method: An HPLC method was applied with a Halo® C18 column (2.1 mm×100 mm

2.7 μm)

acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid aqueous solution as mobile phase with gradient elution.Mass spectrometry with ESI ion source and was performed in the positive ion mode to scan MS data about MS total ion chromatogram and ion peaks of raw and processed products of Polygalae Radix.Belonging each ion peak according to control product positioning

MS date and literature reference

number and intensity changes of ion peak of Polygalae Radix before and after processing were compared. Result: Twenty-one kinds of compounds were obtained from raw product of Polygalae Radix

which contained 13 kinds of oligosaccharide esters and 8 kinds of saponins.Twenty kinds of compounds were obtained from processed products of Polygalae Radix

which contained 11 kinds of oligosaccharide esters and 9 kinds of saponins.After boiled with licorice juice

molecular ion peak intensity of tenuifoliose C or tenuifoliose E

tenuifoliose K were disappeared;molecular ion peak intensity of sibiricose A5

sibiricose A6

tenuifoliside A

tenuifoliside B

tenuifoliside C

3

6'-disinapoly-sucrose

tenuifoliose A

tenuifoliose B or tenuifoliose D

tenuifoliose H

onjisaponin Vg

onjisaponin Wg and onjisaponin Gg were decreased significantly

and generated a new component which named as tenuifolin. Conclusion: After boiled with licorice juice

contents of part of oligosaccharide esters and a variety of saponins in Polygalae Radix are changed significantly.