[Study on Identification of Three Medicinal Plant Leaves from Elaeagnus Genus by Infrared Spectroscopy]

To study and identify the three species of dry medicinal plant leaves trom Elaeagnus genus (E. pungens, E. lanceolata and E. henryi) by Infrared Spectroscopy(IR).

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and second derivative infrared spectroscopy were used to study and compare the characteristics of leaves of three Elaeagnus medicinal plants.

The IR spectra and second derivative infrared spectra of the three Elaeagnus plants leaves were similar on the whole, the intensity or ratio of intensity of some absorption peaks still had certain distinctions, and the differences of the second derivative infrared spectra were more obvious. There were only slight differences between large and small leaf type of samples of Elaeagnus lanceolata; the differences of the plant leaves of one species collected in different harvest periods were far smaller than those of others belonging to the same genus.

IR can be relatively reliably used for identification of the three Elaeagnus leaves.