Accumulation patterns of bioactive components in Morinda officinalis How across growth years

Harvesting time is a crucial factor affecting the quality of traditional Chinese medicine. Morinda officinalis How is a perennial herb with its root frequently used in both medicine and food industries. Iridoids, anthraquinones and saccharides are the main bioactive components of M . officinalis . The harvesting time of M. officinalis is affected by the standardization of herb quality control and market demand, which puts it under increasing resource pressure. This study aims to investigate the effects of growth years on the chemical profile and the content of active ingredients in M. officinalis . UPLC-DAD/ELSD and widely targeted metabolomics were employed for the analysis. The chemical profile and the content of iridoid glycosides, anthraquinones and saccharides in the root of M. officinalis exhibited a strong correlation with growth years. Furthermore, geographical origins also affected the quality of M. officinalis , resulting in slight differences in the optimal harvest period. Notably, various types of bioactive components reached their peak levels between 3 and 4 years of growth. Based on a comprehensive consideration of chemical profile and active compound contents, our results indicated that it is more reasonable to harvest M. officinalis at 3–4 years for a given geographical origin. Collectively, this study provides a new access to understanding metabolite changes during the growth duration and even evaluating the quality of M. officinalis .