Objective: To observe the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on the yield and chemical composition contents of root and rhizome of Rheum palmatum in artificial cultivation. Method: Through pot experiment in room

not inoculated AM fungi group was regarded as CK group

inoculated Funneliformis mosseae fungi as AM group

15 pots repeated in each group

each pot planted 10 seeds

3 strains were kept on in each pot when the seedlings came out. Literature establishment method was used to calculate the mycorrhizal colonization rate and colonization intensity

weighing method was adopted to determine the yield and HPLC was conducted to determine the contents of anthraquinones in root and rhizome of Rheum palmatum

then the change of the biomass and anthraquinones in R. palmatum was compared between CK group and AM group. Result: Colonization rate of AM group and CK group were (96.96±1.57)% and 0

colonization intensities were (62.07±3.40)% and 0.Compared with CK group

the yield increased (42.96±2.12)%

the average content of total anthraquinones increased 127.43% in AM group

there were statistical significances in difference (P<0.05).The result of HPLC showed that

there was a certain change on the contents and composition ratio of anthraquinones between AM group and CK group

but inoculation of AM fungi did not lead to fundamental change on the effective components in R. palmatum. Conclusion: It could obviously promote the growth and increase the contents of effective components in root and rhizome of R. palmatum after AM fungi were inoculated

however

the kinds of anthraquinones showed no difference.