Abstract
The Zanthoxyhum bungeanum seeds from 8 provinces in China were analyzed to show the impact of geographical location on their characteristics and chemical components. Thus, the analysis can serve as theoretical basis for cultivating high-quality Zanthoxyhum bungeanum and improving its economic benefit. The experimental result showed the average transverse diameter of the seed was 3.84mm, the average vertical diameter was 3.05mm and the shape index was 1.19-1.32, thus indicating that the geographical location had no significant impact on the shape of Zanthoxyhum bungeanum. Besides, the oil ratio of Zanthoxyhum bungeanum seeds from 9 provenances is 25%-31.5%. Among them, the ratio of Shanxi, reaching 31.5%, was much higher than those of Henan, Hebei and Inner Mongolia. The overall unsaturated fatty acid of the seed was 60%-79.5%. Thus, the oil ratio was significantly impacted by altitude, rainfall and annual aridity index. Furthermore, the 1000-seed weight of eastern plain is relatively heavier than that of western plateau while the peel ratio of western plateau is higher than that of eastern plain. Hence, the weight and peel ratio were both greatly influenced by geographical location.
