[Objective]To compare the effects of different drying methods on the effective components in rhizomes,stems and leaves of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.,which were baking after drying in the sunlight,natural drying in the shade and natural drying in the sunlight.[Methods]With butylphthalide content as the evaluation index,HPLC was adopted.Chromatographic conditions were as follows:chromatographic column was Diamonsil C18column(4.6 mm×250 mm,5μm);mobile phase was acetonitrile-0.4%acetic acid(55∶45,V/V);flow rate was 1.0 mL/min;detection wavelength was 228 nm;column temperature was 25℃;and injection volume was 10μL.[Results]Butylphthalide had good linear relationship(r=0.999 9)with peak area within the range of 0.515 2-5.152 0μg/mL.Limit of quantitation was 5.515 2 mg/L;average recovery rate was 100.10%,and RSD was 1.10%(n=9).As for the same drying method,butylphthalide content was in the order of rhizomes>stems>leaves.As for the different drying methods,baking after drying in the sunlight had the maximum butylphthalide contents in rhizomes,stems and leaves,followed with natural drying in the shade.And natural drying in the sunlight had the minimum butylphthalide contents.Butylphthalide content in L.chuanxiong by baking after drying in the sunlight had extremely significant differences with those by natural drying in the shade and sunlight(P<0.01).[Conclusions]Butylphthalide contents varied in the rhizomes,stems and leaves of L.chuanxiong.And baking after drying in the sunlight was more suitable for the whole plant drying of L.chuanxiong. [Objective] To compare the effects of different drying methods on the effective components in rhizomes, stems and leaves of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., Which were baking after drying in the sunlight, natural drying in the shade and natural drying in the sunlight. [Methods ] With butylphthalide content as the evaluation index, HPLC was adopted. Chromatographic conditions were as follows: chromatographic column was Diamonsil C18column (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 μm); mobile phase was acetonitrile- 0.4% acetic acid (55:45, Results were as follows: Butylphthalide had good linear relationship (r = 0.999 9) with peak area within the range of 10 μL; flow rate was 1.0 mL / min; 0.515 2-5.152 0 μg / mL. Limit of quantitation was 5.515 2 mg / L; average recovery rate was 100.10%, and RSD was 1.10% (n = 9). As for the same drying method, butylphthalide content was in the order of rhizomes> stems> leaves.As for the different drying methods, baking after drying in the s unlight had the maximum butylphthalide contents in rhizomes, stems and leaves, followed with natural drying in the shade. And natural drying in the sunlight had the minimum butylphthalide contents. Butylphthalide content in L. chuanxiong by baking after drying in the sunlight had extremely significant differences with those by natural drying in the shade and sunlight (P <0.01). [Conclusions] Butylphthalide contents varied in the rhizomes, stems and leaves of L. chuanxiong .And baking after drying in the sunlight was more suitable for the whole plant drying of L.chuanxiong.