Objective: To evaluate the potential medicine usage

we aimed to verifying its medicinal active ingredients of Agriophyllum squarrosum. Method: We explored medicinal active ingredients in the above-ground tissues of A. squarrosum based on UPLC-MS non-targeted metabonomics analysis.Quantitative analysis of metabolites was carried out using a multi-reaction monitoring model(MRM) of triple quadrupole mass spectrometry.The multivariate statistical analysis was used to analyze the difference metabolites in the above-ground tissues of A. squarrosum. Result: With metabonomics analysis

a total of 506 metabolites were detected in the above-ground tissues of A. squarrosum

including flavonoids

alkaloids

polyphenols

vitamins

terpenes

amino acids

etc.Most of the active ingredients had a significant concentration in the aerial part of A. squarrosum

though some metabolites concentration differed among tissues.The spikes mainly contained amino acids

while the stems and leaves were rich in the secondary metabolites

including flavonoids

polyphenols

alkaloids

vitamins

etc. Conclusion: A. squarrosum has a variety of potential functions

such as anti-oxidation

anti-tumor

anti-inflammatory

antibacterial

lowering blood pressure

protecting cardiovascular and cerebrovascular

etc.This work supports that it is highly promising to develop new drugs using the above-ground tissues of A. squarrosum.Meanwhile

it also provides important data for A. squarrosum as a new Chinese herbal medicine resource which can play an important role in sustainable ecological agriculture and health industry in arid and semi-arid regions.