On the premise of strictly controlling the harvesting conditions of Bufonis Venenum, we studied the relationship between the quality and resource distribution of Bufonis Venenum in China, aiming to provide the data for comprehensively understanding the geographical distribution and characteristics of Bufonis Venenum in China. In this study, 105 samples of Bufonis Venenum were collected from 42 counties and cities in 19 provinces in China, and the material basis and index components were determined by mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography. The obtained data formed the quality database of Bufonis Venenum from different producing areas in China. The analysis of the material basis showed that Bufonis Venenum was mainly produced in two characteristic regions(north area and south area) divided by Qinling Mountains, northern edge of Huaiyang hills and the connecting area of Huang-Huai Plain, Huangshan Mountains, and Tianmu Mountains. Eight differential components were identified in the Bufonis Venenum samples from the south area and the north area. All the Bufonis Venenum samples from the north area showed the content of index components above the requirements of Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition), while those from the south area had the content of index components lower than the standards of Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition). The quality evaluation showed uneven distribution of Bufonis Venenum quality, which was high in the north and low in the south. The results provided a research basis for the breeding base selection of Bufo bufo gargarizans.
Keywords: Bufo bufo gargarizans; Bufonis Venenum; distribution characteristics; producing area; quality evaluation.