[Discussion on quality changes mechanism of Chinese medicinal materials during storage]

Storage of Chinese medicinal materials was an important part in the circulation process. During storage, medicinal herbs, the factors in the outside world and their own physical and chemical properties of the interaction, gradually occurring physical, chemical and biological changes. Phenomenon such as mold, moth-eaten, color change, taste change and "Fan You" would be seen. The intrinsic quality changes related to the mechanism: oxidation, polymerization or decomposition reaction, Maillard reaction, enzymatic reaction and transformation reactions. It resulted to increasing or decreasing of the active ingredient content in medicinal materials, losing of volatile components, forming of biological metabolites and transformation products of damage insects.