Change of the content of chemical constituents and anti-oxidative action of the decoction of Radix Ginseng combined with Flos Lonicerae, Radix Polygoni Multiflori and Radix Astragali

Ginsenosides in the decoction of Radix Ginseng, Radix Ginseng with Flos Lonicerae, Radix   Polygoni Multiflori or Radix Astragali have been investigated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometric method (ESI-MS).  Change of the content of ginsenosides   was nonlinear in diverse combinative proportion of Radix Ginseng with Flos Lonicerae, while the stripping of ginsenosides was promoted by a small amount of Radix Polygoni Multiflori.  In the combinative decoction of Radix Ginseng with Radix Astragali, ginsenosides contents were increased compared to single decoction of Radix Ginseng.  Besides, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) method was developed for determination of the total antioxidative activity of n-butanol and water-soluble extracts from the decoction.  The experimental results showed that antioxidative activity was better in the combinative decoction than that in single decoction, and the FRAP values of n-butanol extract were also greater compared with that of water extract.