주(主) 재배품종인 의성종과 영천종의 유효성분을 HPLC 및 TLC로 분석한 결과 주(主)성분인 paeoniflorin 함량은 의성종이 영천종보다 높으며 albiflorin과 oxypaeoniflorin의 함량을 두 재배종에서 비교하면 의성종은 albiflorin 함량이 많고 영천종은 oxypaeoniflorin의 함량이 많았다. 생산지에 따른 paeoniflorin의 함량차이는 2.15% 에서 4.08% 의 범위였고 의성과 거창의 것은 비슷하였으며 영천의 것이 가장 낮았다. 18종의 재배종들은 품종에 따라 다양한 paeoniflorin 함량 차이를 보이며 작약성분분석의 HPLC 크로마토그랍을 albiflorin, oxypaeoniflorin 및 paeoniflorin 피크를 기준으로 비교해본 결과 크게 3가지 패턴으로 분류할수 있었다. 이 세가지 유형은 의성종 패턴 9종, 영천종 패턴 4종 풍기표준종패턴 5종 이었다. 수확시기에 따른 작약의 paeoniflorin의 함량변화를 조사한 결과 3월과 9월에 수확한 것이 낮았으며 5월과 11월에 수확한 작약의 paeoniflorin 함량이 높았다.

Peony is a medicinal herb which have utilized widely as chineses medicine. The paeoniflorin is the predominant component In peony root, monoterpene glucoside containing pinane structure. The effective components were extracted with the cold water from the intact peony roots, and effectively extracted with 70% ethanol from the dry powder of peony roots. The changes of paeoniflorin contents were investigated during the drying process of peony roots and processing of peony extract by the heat-treatment. Air-drying was the best condition for the preservation of paeoniflorin content among the drying processes of peony roots. But convective drying at 6 was recommended for the drying process of peony roots in large scale. The paeoniflorin in peony extracts was not destroyed by the treatment at 6 and 8 for 5 hrs, but destroyed 30%, 28% and 40% of paeoniflorin by treatment at 10 for 5 hrs, 115 and 121 for 10 minutes, respectively. The paeoniflorin was continueously extracted for 4 hrs from the dry pieces of peony roots(0.50.50.5cm) in boiling water but destroyed gradually after 4 hrs at 10. Paeoniflorins in 70% ethanol extracts of peony root were not destroyed at all in the process of concentration to dry powder at 60"C on vacuum.cuum.