Pharmacognostic Identification and Quality Evaluation of Ferula ferulaeoides (Steud.) Korov.—An Ethnomedicinal Plant

Abstract

Ferula ferulaeoides (Steud.) Korov. (FFK) is used in ethnomedicine to treat gastrointestinal diseases. However, the lack of systematic quality control standards has hindered its market distribution and clinical application. The purpose of this study was to carry out pharmacognostic identification and quality evaluation of FFK for the establishment of quality control standards. The methods included organoleptic evaluation, microscopic observation, proximate analyses, qualitative chemical analysis, thin-layer chromatography (TLC) fingerprinting, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The leaves of FFK were light green, and the roots were fusiform and thick. The resin was milky white in its fresh state, and it became a yellowish-brown irregular mass after air drying. Under the microscope, the secondary structure of the root was developed, and the resin ducts were mainly distributed in the cortex. The powder contained vessels, oil cells, fibers, starch granules, parenchyma cells, resin ducts, and stone cells, but the resin powder contained only resin mass. The ash, moisture, extract, and heavy metal contents in FFK complied with general standards of similar medicinal materials in the Chinese Pharmacopeia (ChP). Qualitative chemical analysis showed that FFK contained terpenoids, flavonoids, coumarins, and volatile oils. A TLC fingerprint was established for FFK. HPLC showed that the ferulic acid content in FFK was 0.5518 mg g⁻¹. This study preliminarily established the pharmacognostic identification standard for FFK and, combined with quality evaluation, could lay a foundation for its comprehensive development and utilization.