黄花菜全植物含麦角甾-5-烯-3-O-α-L-鼠李吡喃糖甙(ergost-5-ene-3-O-a-Lrhamnopyranoside),5,4-二-O-甲基圣草酚-7-O-β-D-葡萄吡喃糖甙(5,4’-di-O-methyleriodictyol-7-O-βD-D-glucopyranoside),3’,4’-二羟基-5-甲氧基黄烷酮-7-O-a-L-鼠李吡喃糖甙(3’,4’-dihydroxy-5-methoxyflavanone-7-O-a-L-rhamnopyranoside),(lR※,3E,7Z,12R※)-20-羟基烟草习-3,7,15-三烯-19-酸,(3E,7Z,11Z)-17,20-二羟基烟草-3,7,11,15-四烯-19-酸,柚皮素-4’-O-β-D-吡喃木糖-(l→4)-β-D葡萄吡喃糖甙,圣草酚-5-鼠李吡喃甙(eriodictyol-5-rhamnopyranoside),黄花菜醛酸(cleomaldicacid)。根含β-香树脂醇(amyrin),羽扇豆酸(lupeol),3’,4’,5-三羟基黄烷酮-7-O-a-L鼠李吡喃糖甙(3’,4’,5-trihydroxyflavanone-7-O-a-L-rhamnopyranoside),柚皮素-4’-半乳糖甙(naringenin-4’galactoside),二氢山奈酚-4’-个木糖甙(dihydrokaempferol-4’-xylo-side),二氢山奈素-3-葡萄糖醛酸甙(dihydrokaempferide-3-glu-curonide),二十二酸(docosanoicacid),山奈素-3-葡萄糖醛酸甙(kaempferide-3-hlucuronide)。叶、叶翅含黄花菜内酯(cleomeoide)。另外,黄花菜尚含有氨基酸,地上部分含有:航氨酸(cystine)19.60%,赖氨酸(lysine)18.14%,组氨酸(histdine)9.29%,丝氨酸(serine)2.10%,谷氨酸(glutamicacid)2.45%,脯氨酸(proine)3.46%,蛋氨酸(methionine)8.14%;根含有:胱氨酸24.12%,赖氨酸17.40%,组氨酸9.04%,丝氨酸8.71%,脯氨酸3.18%,蛋氨酸7.53%;种子含有:胱氨酸12.85%,组氨酸1.70%,丝氨酸14.91%,蛋氨酸22.08%,甘氨酸(hlycine)5.48%,苏氨酸(threonine)2.64%,酪氨酸(tyro-sine)4.91%。糖的含量,地上部分:蔗糖(sucrose)19.97%,葡萄糖(glu-cose)19-75%,果糖(fructose)52.05%;根:蔗糖67.46%,葡萄糖-4.76%,果糖27.77%。
秋季采挖根,除去残茎,洗净切片晒干。