OBJECTIVE: to establish a new, objective approach to the quality appraisal of traditional Chinese medicines and to provide
references for selecting and utilizing the resources of medicinal materials "Tiannanxin". METHODS: based on the determinion of the bioactive constituents in 10 species of medicinal material "Tiannanxin" reported by Jishen, et al, 13 constituents related to anticancer, antitussive and expectorant effects, i.e. aspartic acid, asparaginate, β-sitosterol, selenium, molybdeuum, manganese, magnesium, zinc, vanadium, chromium, nickel, cadmium and lead, were selected for appraisal indexes. The
factor analysis was used for determinating the weight of these indexes. 10 species of "Tiannanxin" were comprehensively appraised by fuzzy mathematical method. RESULTS: A. eritbescens was the superior, A. franchetianum second, P. pedatisecta third and A. dilatum the poorest. CONCLUSION: A mathematical model established according to factor analysis and fuzzy mathematics could be sued for the comprehensive appraisal of
traditional Chinese medicines. In view of the fact that P. pedatisecta has been cultivated, marketed, exported and used medically for its high quality, it should be acceptd as the original plant of traditional Chinese medicine "Tiannanxing" in the next edition of Pharmacopoea of the People Republic of China.